Ronshine
by kp83
Summary: Ron sets out on a mission to save his family, but along the way, he finds himself in some interesting sitches. AUish story set in 18th century England.
1. Chapter 1

**Ronshine**

AUish story set in 18th century England, but the dialog and some elements will be more modern so they will fit into the KP universe. Also, this story will focus more on Ron as the main character, while Kim's role in the story will be more minor than we are use to.

Disney owns Kim Possible and all related characters. Any original characters seen here are figments of my imagination.

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**Chapter 1**

"What're you doing honey?" Ann Possible asked her daughter as she walked into the barn.

"Packing some milk and cheese to take to Ron." Kim answered in a casual tone.

Ann guessed that was what the younger redhead was doing, but she thought she would ask. For the past two years, Kim went to Ron's house once a week with milk and cheese that she and Nana made from their small dairy farm. "Oh, ok. Before you go, pack the extra eggs and rolls from breakfast, and take them with you. I left them next to the stove."

"Ok! I'm sure they'd like some eggs. Where're you going by the way?" Kim asked when she noticed her mother getting her horse ready.

"Over to the Renton's." The doctor answered. "It's time for Zita and Henry's check-up. I can't believe little Henry's six months old today. It seems like only yesterday we were at Felix and Zita's wedding."

"It sure does." Kim answered with a little sadness in her voice, but it went by her mother.

Kim was glad that her friends were happily married and blessed with a healthy baby boy, but she was a little disappointed that Ron had not asked her to marry him. They had been friends their whole lives and when they got a little older, they started dating. Two and a half years had past since Ron confessed his feelings to her and she was surprised that he never brought up the subject of marriage. All of their friends were already married and starting families, but, no matter how much she wanted to, she never pushed the subject because she knew Ron had enough stress in his life and he did not need her adding to it.

"Are you going to stop by and see Mrs. Stoppable on your way home?" Kim asked the older woman.

"I planned on it. Do you want me to drop you off on my way to see Zita? I can bring you home after I check on Sarah."

"Sure, that way I can spend a little time with Ron without having to rush home before dark."

-()-()-()-()-()-()-

Kim bid her mother farewell and walked up the lane to the cottage that the Stoppable family lived in. It was a humble little house on a fifteen-acre potato farm, on the outskirts of the small English town of Middleton, that David Stoppable bought after he and Sarah married. Twenty-five years ago, this farm was a source of happiness for David and Sarah. They had three sons, Jacob, William and Ronald, and a thriving potato farm where they were able to harvest and sell enough potatoes each year that the family never had to worry about money.

Unfortunately, in recent years, the whole country was experiencing unusually cold weather. The winters were bitterly cold, the snowfall was much heavier, and it laid on the ground longer than it had in previous years. The spring and summers were colder and wetter than they were use to as well. Farmers had to adapt to the shortened, less reliable growing season, and because of this, the cost of food increased, so many people were suffering from hunger and illness.

This change in the weather greatly affected the Stoppable's, and as a result, they were not able to grow enough potatoes to sell. They were going through their savings quickly, and it seemed like the land they owned died from the harsh weather. The only place that seemed to produce anything worthwhile was a patch of land next to the house that Sarah used as a vegetable garden. They were lucky to grow enough food to eat two small meals a day.

Most of their meals consisted of peas and beans, since they could dry and store them for later use, and any other vegetables they were able to grow. During the winter months, Ron would go to town and buy flour so the family could make gruel (1) to keep warm. The only time they had any meat or dairy was when Kim would bring them milk and cheese. Every once in awhile, when they could spare it, Kim's dad, would bring them a chicken.

Kim checked her appearance before she knocked on the door. She brushed off her trousers and straitened her coat. It did not bother her, or Ron, that she wore pants instead of a dress most of the time. She was more comfortable, and it made things easier, to wear pants when she was working on the farm. After she was somewhat satisfied with the way she looked, she knocked on the door and hoped that Ron answered instead of one of his brothers. She did not like to be around Jake and Will, because she thought they were lazy and selfish, and she really hated the way they treated Ron.

Kim saw that her wish was not granted when Jake opened the door. "Well, look who we have here…it's the lovely Kim Possible. Please, do come in." Jake said with mock sweetness and a little bow as he opened the door wider for her.

Kim rolled her eyes at his behavior and walked inside. It was colder in the house than she thought it should be. She looked towards the fireplace and noticed that it was almost out. "Wow, it's cold in here." She said without thinking.

"Yeah, well Ron was supposed to chop wood yesterday, but I guess he couldn't be bothered, so we all must suffer." Will said, from across the room. He was sitting in a chair reading a book.

His attitude and total disregard for everything Ron did for his family set the redhead off. "You know, it wouldn't kill either of you to actually get off your lazy butts and do some work for a change! Ever since the accident, you two treat Ron as if he was your personal servant, forcing him to do all the work around the house! If your father was still alive and your mother was well enough to see how you two are acting, they'd put you in your place!" The redhead practically growled at the two selfish brats. Really, she had no idea why these two acted the way they did. She knew for a fact, they were not raised to be that way.

Will and Jake just gawked at Kim with their mouths slightly open. No one had ever talked to them like that. _"What the hell?"_ They both thought of her outburst. "Now see here, you bitch, just who the hell do you think you are?" Jake spat as he marched over to her, making a fist with his hand. "I'll have you know; you can't walk into our house and speak to us like that! I think I need to teach you a lesson that you won't forget!"

Kim was not afraid of him, and if he tried to touch her, he was in for a surprise. She just stared at Jake with an unmoving expression as he loomed over her, trying to scare her with his size. When that did not work, her grabbed her by her arm and lifted his hand to slap her, but he never got the chance. Before he knew what was happening, Kim punched him in the stomach with her free hand. Then when he let go of her arm and doubled over in pain, she punched him in the in the face and swiped his feet out from under him; He was out after that. Kim then turned to Will and said, "You wanna give it a try?"

After watching his 6-foot, 180-pound brother, get knocked out by a 5'4, 105-pound girl, he was not having any of that. "N-No, I think I'll go find Ron and let him know you're here." He answered, his voice cracking slightly. As he walked by, he grabbed Jake and took him out the back door.

Kim did not have to wait long before Ron walked in. "Hey KP!" He chirped as he walked over to her and gave her a little kiss on the lips. His arms were full of wood for the fire that he needed to rebuild. "What happened in here? I saw Jake outside, passed out and his nose was bloody. Will looked as if he had seen a ghost when he came to tell me you were here."

"Oh that? I wouldn't worry about it. Jake just got a fist full of the truth and it was too much for him to handle." The redhead said with a sly smile.

Ron stopped what he was doing and cranked an eyebrow to her answer. He had seen her train with Nana several times, so he knew what she was capable of. He also knew Kim would not hit his brother for no reason, so Jake must have done something to provoke her. "He didn't hurt you, did he Kim?" Ron said with concern in his voice as he turned away from the fire and looked her over for signs that she had been hit.

"No, I beat him to it. So not the drama, Ron. If it was you, Jake wouldn't take the time to even ask if you were okay."

Ron decided to let it go, since she was not hurt. "Yeah, you're right. So, it's great to see you KP." He cooed as he wrapped his arms around her waist. He melted when she returned the embrace and rested her head in the crook of his neck. "Sorry, I haven't been up to see you this week. I've just been so busy around here, that I haven't had the time."

"No big. Mom told me how love sick you were when she was here. I hate how your brothers treat you. It's not right that they make you do all the work around here, when they're perfectly capable of doing something!"

"I know how you feel KP, but let's not waste what little time we have together talking about the terrible two." Ron said and gave her a kiss that would have landed him into serious trouble with Mr. Possible.

Ron knew how Kim felt about his brothers, but there was little that he could do about the situation. After the carriage accident three years ago, that killed his father and left his mother with limited mobility, he knew he would have to step up, set aside his carefree personality, and be the man of the house, when it was clear that his brothers would not. The only reason he tolerated his brothers now, was because of his mother. After David's death, Sarah was heartbroken and Ron feared that if he kicked his brothers out, the stress would be too much for her. She loved her children and because of that, he tried very hard not to let his mother see what kind of men his brothers had become, but he suspected that he was not pulling the wool over her eyes completely.

Kim and Ron sat, cuddled by the fire, talking about their weeks, and enjoying some alone time together, when, seemingly out of nowhere, Ron started laughing. "Rufus stop moving, you're tickling me!"

Just then, Rufus popped his head out of a pocket that Ron had sown into his trousers and started to sniff the air. "Cheese!" He squealed in excitement.

"Haha! I guess Rufus can smell the cheese I brought." Kim said as she giggled at the naked mole rat.

"Aww, man, you didn't KP? Don't get me wrong, I appreciate it when you bring us milk and cheese, but it makes me feel bad when you go out of your way to make extra so we can have it!"

"Amp down the drama, Ron! You know I love helping you and your family whenever I can. You need something to eat other than pea and bean soup! Also, we had some extra hard-boiled eggs and rolls left over from breakfast this morning, so I brought them too."

"Thanks, Kim. I really appreciate it. We all do, even if Jake and Will won't say it. Make sure you thank your mom and Nana for me."

"Well you can tell my mom yourself, she should be here shortly to check on your mom. Speaking of your mother, maybe we should pop our heads in and check on her. I hope she didn't hear the fight Jake and I got into earlier." Kim said with some concern in her voice.

"I'm sure she didn't, she usually takes a nap around this time of day. Come on, let's go see her."

Just as the two eighteen year olds were getting up, they heard a knock at the door. Ron went to answer it and saw Ann waiting on the other side. He let her in and gave her a quick hug. "Hey Mrs. Possible, we were just about to go check on Mom. You have great timing!"

"I guess so. How's she been today?" Ann asked.

"Ok, I guess. Her cough doesn't seem to be any worse and she did get out of bed this morning. I let her stretch her muscles a bit and then made her get back in bed. I haven't heard a peep out of her since then."

Ann nodded to the response and the three of them went to see Sarah. She was sleeping, but when she heard movement in the room, she stirred. After seeing who her visitors were, she smiled and motioned to Kim to give her a hug. "It's so nice to see you dear. How've you been?"

"I've been good…missing Ron." She said with a smile. "I brought the usual milk and cheese and some hard-boiled eggs and rolls."

"Thanks dear, we're lucky to have friends like you. If there is anything we can do to repay you, just let us know." Sarah said to the two redheads.

"You can pay us back, by just being you." Ann answered her long time friend. "Now let's see what your temperature is."

The two teenagers left the room so she could examine Sarah. While they were waiting on Ann, Ron started dinner…more pea and bean soup, but tonight they would have a nice cup of milk and rolls with their meal.

Will and Jake walked in while Ron was making dinner and the couple just stared at them. Jake looked like he wanted to say something, but when he saw the look in Kim's eyes, he quickly retreated over to the fire to warm up. Soon after they came in, Ann was finished examining Sarah. When she walked into the room, she noticed Jake's nose and immediately looked at her daughter for an explanation. Kim just rolled her eyes and made a hand gesture that said, _"Don't ask."_ Ann shook her head and kneeled down to look over Jake's injuries. He was going to be ok. The nose was not broken, but he was going to be sore for a while.

Ron knew it was time for Kim and her mother to leave when she finished with Jake, so he walked his guests outside to see them off. Ann gave the blond teen a hug and a kiss on the cheek before she got in the wagon. Ron then turned to Kim and before he could say anything, she put her arms around his neck and kissed him, softly and sweetly on the lips.

When they parted, a quiet, but dreamy "Booyah!" escaped from Ron's lips, before he could stop it. He blushed when he saw Mrs. Possible smile at his reaction.

"Thanks for the great visit. See ya soon." Kim whispered in his ear before she kissed him on the cheek and climbed into the wagon with her mother.

"Yeah. See ya, KP." Ron said, still in his kiss-induced daze. "Love you."

"I love you too, Ron." Kim cooed and waved as her mother pulled away from the house.

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Next time: When the Stoppable's savings dwindle, Sarah is forced to make a decision about which of her children she must send to find work.

1. Gruel was a common 18th century meal that was similar to oatmeal. It was popular for breakfast and dinner because it helped compensate for the lack of heating in drafty houses.

A/N: I hope you liked this first chapter! I know the language and some of the behaviors in this story would not have happened in the 18th century, but I wanted it to fit in with the show, but still be set in a time where there were little technological advances and comforts like you see today; that's why I said it was AUish, so please bare with me! Anyways, thanks for reading! This is my first attempt at a chaptered story, so let me know what you think so far.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Disney owns Kim Possible and all related characters. Any original characters seen here are figments of my imagination.

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Ron woke up with a jolt when he heard his mother's violent coughing. He tripped several times and nearly fell down the loft's ladder as he raced to her room. He rushed to her side and rubbed her back hoping it would help her. When she finally stopped coughing, he gave her a cup of water and felt her forehead. She still had a temperature, but it did not seem to be getting any worse.

"How you feelin' Mom?" He asked as he fluffed her pillows and tucked her in under the blanket.

"My chest and throat hurt from coughing so much, and my back is stiff, but I feel a little better now that I've had some water. Thanks, Ronnie." Sarah said and forced out a smile.

Ron noticed the time on his father's old pocket watch sitting on the table next to his mother's bed. It was close to five, so he decided to make breakfast for the family since he usually got up around this time. "Ok, well you rest now. I'll go make breakfast and add a few logs to the fire. Do you want anything before I go?"

"No dear, but thanks for asking."

Sarah smiled at Ron and watched him leave. As soon as he was out of the room, her face turned into one of sadness as she tough of her family. The past three years had been rough on them. After David's death, she was heartbroken and felt guilty for not being able to help her sons around the house. Then to make matters worse, the cold weather came the year after the accident and the farm was practically useless. Thankfully, they had a few prosperous years where they were able to save some money. They were still able to pay their taxes, and since they tried to live off what little food they grew, they could afford to buy the few essentials items they could not grow from the town store. Unfortunately, things were going to get worse before they got better. Their money situation was nearing a point that if they did not have any money come in soon, they would not be able to afford seeds for planting, flour, fabric, and they would not be able to pay their taxes.

Sarah's thoughts were broken when Ron came in to bring her, her breakfast. He set a tray on her lap and she looked at what they were having…boiled potatoes, peas, and milk. "Ronnie, please take the milk and put it back in the bottle, and then go and get your brothers for me."

Ron gave his mother a curious look and wondered why she did not want her milk. He decided not to question her, and went outside to the box where he kept the milk (1), and poured it back in the bottle. Then, he climbed the ladder to the loft where he and his brothers slept to wake them.

"Dude, what're you doing?" Will whined when he felt Ron shaking him. "I'm trying to sleep."

"Yeah, whatever." Ron said coldly. "Mom wants to see you and Jake."

"What's she want at this ungodly hour?" Jake grumbled. The racket his brothers were making had woken him up.

"I don't know, but you better get down there and find out." Ron answered. "Breakfast is on the table."

His brothers just gave him dirty looks, but Ron paid them no mind. He climbed down the ladder and went to his mother's room to eat with her. When he entered the room, he noticed she had not touched her food and she looked sad and scared. Normally, she would try to put on a brave face around her sons, but this morning, that was not the case. Ron did not know why, but he was afraid to ask , he sat next to her and held her hand.

Jake and Will walked in the room with their plates and sat at the end of her bed. Their curiosity was piqued when they noticed their mother's expression, but they just waited for her to speak. Sarah sat there for a few minutes and looked at her three sons. She did not say anything; just looked at them and comforted herself with their presence. Finally, she let out a troubled sigh, and let them know why she wanted to speak to them.

"You guys know, as well as I do, that things around here have been going downhill ever since your father died. We were fortunate that he thought ahead and put some of the potato profits away. For the past two years, we've been living off our savings, but it's come to a point that if we don't have some income, we are going to run out of money."

Sarah stared to tear up and her voice started to crack when she got to that last part. Her sons knew that whatever was coming next was going to be particularly painful for her, so they all moved a little closer to comfort her. After a minute or so, Sarah found her voice and continued. "As I said before, we're going to run out of money soon and I think its time for two of you to find work. I'd love nothing more than to have you three close to me all the time, but we have no other choice. Jake, Will, you two are the oldest and I think it's best for you two to go. Ron will stay here and tend to the house and crops." Sarah watched her son's expressions while she spoke and the older two seemed surprised by her decision.

Jake was the first to respond. "Mom, are you sure this is what you want? What if we can't find work in Middleton? Lowerton is a six hour walk from here and Go City is two days from there!"

"Yeah, where are we going to stay? It's not like we can afford to stay at an inn every night!" Will added.

"Boys, you aren't making this easy on me. I know this is going to be a big change for you, but we have no other choice. I'll give you a little money to take with you, so you can find a place to stay for a few nights. Most employers will provide their workers with a place to stay, especially if you find work on a farm. Now, I'm not asking you if you want to go, I'm telling you. We've literally run out of options!" Sarah answered. She had tears running down her cheeks and her voice was shaking again.

"Mom, it'll be ok. I'm sure they'll find work soon." Ron tried to comfort his mother while ignoring the looks his brothers were giving him. He was disappointed in his brother's behavior, but not surprised by it. He knew they loved their mother and in the end, they would look for a job. They were acting like this because they had gotten so use to letting him do all the work around the farm. Now, they would actually have to work.

"Ronnie, pack the milk and cheese Kim brought over the other day for your brothers. I want them to take some food with them. It may not be much, but it'll be better than sending them out with nothing." Sarah said after she calmed down enough to talk. Then she turned to Jake and Will. "Boys, I love you very much and I don't want you to leave, but I need you to do this for the family. You'd better get ready, the sun will be up soon, and you don't want to waste any daylight."

Jake and Will did not to argue with their mother. They could see that this was hard for her and she did not need them fighting with her over the matter. Her mind was made up. The stood up and both gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek and went to pack their things. Before they left the house, they said their goodbyes to Sarah and told her of their plans to go to Lowerton and Go City for work.

"Please send word soon and let me know how you're doing and if you've found a job. It will help ease my nerves if I know you're okay." Sarah asked her sons as she gave them one last hug.

"We will Mom. Love you." Jake said.

"Love you too." Will added.

With their goodbyes said, the two men left their mother's room. Ron met them at the door with the food his mother wanted him to pack. He was not sure what to say to them because he knew they were not happy about having to leave. "Well, you guys take care of yourselves and good luck." The blond teen said. He hoped for his mother's sake they found jobs close by, and soon.

"Yeah, see ya." Both said flatly and with little emotion as they took the sack from Ron and walked out the door.

Ron watched his older brothers walk down the path until he could not see them anymore. _"Finally those two are actually going to do something to help out." _He thought as he turned to go back in the house. He added a few more logs to the fire and went to check on his mother. He was going to keep an extra close eye on her for the next few weeks because he knew she was going to miss them.

-()-()-()-()-()-()-

Jake and Will wondered around the streets of Lowerton wondering where they should start. The town was about the same size as Middleton, and they hoped they had better luck here than they did at home. Everywhere they went, they were told the same thing, _"Sorry, I really wish I could help, but I can't afford to hire you."_ Unfortunately, the whole town was suffering from the change in the weather and they just could not afford to hire them, even if they needed the help.

"How about the general store?" Will asked.

"Yeah, I guess that's as good a place as any." Jake answered with a sigh.

The brothers went in the store and walked to the counter. They did not see anyone, but they heard noises coming from the next room. They waited for the owner of the store to come back to the counter. After a few minutes, a young boy carrying rolls of fabric approached them.

"Can I help you two find anything?" The boy asked the newcomers.

"Well, actually, we're looking for a job and we were wondering if you need any help around here." Jake asked.

"Oh, ok, I'll call for my dad. He owns the store." The boy said as he placed the fabric on a table that had other rolls of fabric. "Dad! There are a couple of guys out here looking for you!"

"Artie, how many times do I have to tell you it's not polite to yell?" The boy's father said as he came into the room. "Sorry about that, how can I help you?"

"It's ok Mr.…" Jake stopped when he realized that he did not know the man's name.

"Oh, I'm sorry, the name's Martin. Martin Smarty."

"Mr. Smarty, my name is Jake Stoppable, and this is my brother Will. We're new in town and looking for a job. We were wondering if you need any help around the store."

"Oh, sorry boys, I'd like to help, but my son and I can handle things around here without a hired hand. I did hear that the Blacksmith and the Carpenter were looking for some help. Maybe you could try them."

"Yeah? Thanks for the help. We'll go check 'em out." Will said a little discouraged. They bid Martin and his son farewell and left to find the carpenter and the blacksmith.

As luck would have it, they were across the street from each other. To save time, the two brothers decided to separate; Jake would try the blacksmith and Will would try the carpenter. Five minutes later, the brothers met in the street, and their faces told the other that they did not get the job.

"What'd he say?" Will asked.

"Well, he was looking for help, but he was looking for an apprentice."

"Same here. I asked him if he knew of anyone else in town that needed workers and he mentioned that the basket maker, the gunsmith, the miller, the shoemaker, and the silversmith are all looking for apprentices, but other than that, they don't need anyone else."

The brothers quickly realized they were wasting their time by looking for a job in a specific trade since they did not have time to become apprentices. They needed a job that paid them so they could send money home. An apprentice worked for several years and the only pay they received was clothing, food and a place to live. Only after they passed their inspection by their master could they actually earn money from their trade.

"Maybe we should ask around and see if any of the local farmers need a hired hand since that's the only skill we do have." Jake said dejected. Will only nodded to show he was in agreement.

-()-()-()-()-()-()-

After a day of rejection from every tradesman and farmer in town, the brothers decided to go the one place in town they had not been yet, the tavern. They were hungry, depressed, and in need of a stiff drink.

"What a day! I don't think I've had this much rejection in my whole life!" Will said as he and Jake sat down at a table. "I'm so hungry, I could eat a horse!"

"Yeah I know. This sucks! I wish I was still at home and Ron was the one out looking for a job. I would much rather do work around the house than go through the crap we went through today." Jake complained.

Before Will could agree with his brother's comment, a heavyset woman walked up to the table to take their order. "I haven't seen you two around here before, are you new in town?" The lady said in a cheerful tone.

"Yeah, we're looking for work. You wouldn't happen to have anything available, would you?" Jake said flatly, expecting rejection.

"Well, I'll ask my husband, but since things have been so slow around here lately, I doubt we'll need any outside help. What're your names?" She said even peppier than she did before.

Will wondered if she was always so bubbly as he answered her question. "My name's Will Stoppable, this is my brother Jake, and we'd sure appreciate it if you would ask your husband about the job." He smiled at her, hopping it would help.

"It's nice to meet you both, my name's Amy. Would you like anything to eat and drink? Today's special is pork sausages and potatoes, only a shilling (2) per plate!"

"We'll take two specials and we'll have ale to drink." Jake said. After the day he had, he needed alcohol.

"Ok, I'll be right back with your order and I'll talk to Monty when I get back to the kitchen!"

The brothers sat at their table quietly and waited for their meal. They did not eat the food that they brought with them because they wanted to save it incase they had to make the long walk to Go City. It was a wise decision on their part because when Amy brought them their food, she informed them she did not have a job for them. The brothers ate their food slowly and sipped their ale. They did not know when they would have another meal, so they savored it.

"It's getting late, is there a place around here where we can stay for the night? We have a long walk ahead of us tomorrow and I wouldn't mind getting a decent night's sleep." Jake asked Amy as he was paying for their meal.

"We have a few extra rooms here at the tavern for travelers to stay in. Monty usually charges two shillings a night." Amy replied.

"We'll take it." Will said sleepily.

-()-()-()-()-()-()-

The next morning the brothers got an early start and left the tavern just before sunrise. Go City was at least a two-day walk from Lowerton. They made good time and only stopped once around two o'clock for lunch. As they were sitting along the side of the road, they saw an elderly Asian man carrying a large bundle of sticks on his back, coming down the road in their direction.

When the man approached the Stoppable's, he turned to speak to them, "May I sit with you?"

The brothers were suspicious of the man, but they let him sit, "Umm…sure." Will answered. Neither one helped the older man when he struggled to take the bundle off his back so he could sit.

When the Asian man sat down, he noticed Will take some cheese out of his sack, "I was wondering if I might have a bit of your food. I have been walking all day with these heavy sticks on my back and have I have not had anything to eat."

"Are you serious?" Will said. He was not sure if he heard correctly. "We barley have enough for ourselves and you want us to give you some of our food?"

"Please." The old man said with a tired sigh. "These sticks are heavy and I need to boost my energy."

"I'm sorry, we have a long walk to Go City, and we can't spare the food." Jake said in an irked tone. The brothers went back to eating their food and ignored the old man. They could not believe that some man they did not know would ask them for some of their food.

When the elderly man realized he was not going to get any help from the two younger men sitting next him, he stood up and reached for his bundle. He struggled as he picked up his sticks and put his arms through the straps so he could carry them on his aging back. Then he turned to the brothers, bid them farewell, and continued on his way.

-()-()-()-()-()-()-

"How much further are we going to walk tonight? My feet hurt, I'm cold and tired, it's starting to rain, and I can't see anything in this darkness!" Will complained. The last time he had sat down was when they ate lunch, and that was hours ago.

"What would you like me to do, make an inn appear out of nowhere?" Jake snapped. "I haven't seen anything that would provide any kind of shelter from the weather, so until we find something, we're better off walking!"

"Damn! Ok, I get it! You don't have to bite my head off."

"Well, quit your bitchin' and things will move a lot faster!"

After their little argument, the brothers walked in silence as they trudged down the dirt road toward Go City. They knew if they worked on each other's nerves anymore, the two of them would get into a physical fight, and that was the last thing they needed. Then, about thirty minutes after their little spat; Will saw a faint light in the distance as they rounded a bend in the road.

"Jake, do you see that?" Will squealed, pointing towards the light. "It might be a house or something! Maybe we can talk them into letting us stay the night!"

"Ok, calm down. Let's head toward it, and see what it is." Jake responded nonchalantly. He was not as excited about the light as his brother was. They quickened their pace as they followed the road toward the light. Eventually, they realized, the light was coming from something that was high up in the wooded hills.

"I guess we should check it out. If nothing else, we might be able to find a cave or something to spend the night in." Jake said, as if he was reading his brothers mind.

"Yeah, hopefully." Will responded as they left the road and started to climb the hill, disappearing into the woods.

The woods were dark and hard to navigate due to the reduced lighting. Thankfully, the rain stopped and the clouds cleared, allowing an occasional moonbeam to find a break in the tree tops and light the surface enough for them continue climbing the hillside. Then after a long and tedious climb, the hill flattened out, the trees cleared and the brothers found themselves a few hundred yards from the backside of a very large castle.

"Wow! Let's check it out!" Jake suggested as he ran toward the castle. Will did not answer verbally; he just followed his brother and eyed the castle in amazement.

The two brothers circled the outside of the castle, hoping to find a servant that they could persuade into giving them a place to sleep for the night. As they rounded the side of the building to the front, they noticed a road about two hundred yards away leading down the hillside and back into the woods. _"Of course there's a road leading up here! Too bad we had to find this place the hard way." _Will thought as they continued to circle the castle.

"That's strange." Will said as they returned to where they started. "We didn't see one servant or one guard, and the only light we saw in the whole building was that light up there on the third floor. I know it's late, but you'd think someone would be awake to guard the place."

"Yeah, that was kind of strange." Jake thought out loud. "Hey, have you ever heard of there being a castle between Lowerton and Go City? I mean, I haven't and it seems that something this big and close to home, one of us would've heard of it."

"No, I've never heard of this place, but it must be so secluded, that very few people know it's here."

"Yeah, I guess so."

"I saw the stables and some servants quarters on the east side of the building, maybe we should find a spot in there to sleep for a few hours and then get out of here before anyone notices us."

"Sure…but before we do that, aren't you curious to see what's inside?"

"Yeah, I suppose so."

"Let's climb up there and see what's in the window."

"Ok, but after that, I want to get some sleep. I'm tired." Will said as he yawned and rubbed his right eye with the palm of his hand.

Jake started up the wall first and Will followed close behind. They did not have a hard time scaling the wall, as they were able to find decent foot holds and hand grips in the brick. As they neared the window, Will slipped slightly and yelped as he regained his footing.

"Shhh! Do you want them to hear us up here?" Jake whispered down to his brother.

"No!" Was all Will could think of for a comeback. He was more worried about falling than getting into a verbal spat.

They continued up the wall and finally Jake made it to the window. He saw that it was open and when he looked inside his eyes nearly popped out of his head. "Www-Will, you better hurry up here. You…you have to see this." Jake's voice faltered as he eyed the room.

Will wondered what had his brother so visibly shaken, so he climbed as little faster. "Really, what could be in there that is so interesting that I…" Will cut himself off when he saw what his brother was looking at. He just stared in the window and when he found his voice, all he could say was, "Damn!"

"I know." Jake said in a bewildered tone as they stared at a large room filled with gold, silver, and jewels.

"Man, I never thought I'd ever see something like this! Just a handful of this stuff would set a person up life." Will whispered to the air, he wasn't really talking to anyone, just thinking out loud.

"Yeah, I…wait…what'd you just say?" Jake was thrown from his thoughts when he processed what Will said.

"I said I never thought I would see this much money in my life."

"No, no, the last part."

"Oh, just a handful of this would set a person…" Will cut himself off for a second time that night when he realized what he said and he saw the look on Jake's face. "Are you thinking what I think you're thinking?"

"Oh, yeah. Think about it Will…we sneak in, fill our pockets and food sack, and sneak out. We won't take much. There's so much in there that they'll never miss it!"

"True, but what if we get caught? We don't know who owns this castle. It could belong to the King, for all we know!"

"Who's going to catch us? We didn't see any guards outside, and look, there aren't any in the room. It's perfect! We'll have enough money to give Mom, and enough to keep for ourselves. We could move out, get our own houses, get married and the best part about it, we'd never have to work again!"

Will did not need to think about it to know he liked the idea of being rich. He was more worried about what they would say to their mother than he was about stealing the money. "What are we going to tell Mom? You know she'll be pissed if she finds out we stole this money."

"Don't worry about that right now. We have from now to the time we get home to come up with something." Jake said as he emptied the food out of their sack and climbed in the open window. Will just nodded and followed him inside.

Once they were in the room, they looked around to make sure no one was guarding the room. As they were looking for guards, Jake noticed something about the room that he had not notice before…the room was larger and taller than any room he seen. He guessed that the room was bigger than their house. The room had to be thirty-five feet tall. _"Now that I think about it, that window was huge too. We could stand on the ledge and it was still taller than us." _

"Hey Will." Jake whispered. "You notice anything strange about this room?"

"No. Why?"

"It's huge! It has to be over thirty feet tall. Why would the rooms in this castle be so big?"

"Maybe it's just this room, it is the treasure room. Maybe they plan on putting more money in here."

"Yeah, maybe. Let's get started and get out of here."

When they were satisfied they were alone, they turned their attention away from each other and went to find things they wanted to take. While they filled their pockets and sack, they thought of the ways there were going to spend their money.

"You finished yet?" Will asked.

"Yeah, let's get out of here."

The brothers started to climb the wall and found it harder to climb this time around. A few items fell out of their overflowing pockets and Jake almost dropped the sack, twice, as it was a little awkward to climb and hold the heavy sack.

When Will reached the window ledge, he called down to his brother, "Hey, hand me the sack."

Jake tossed the sack to his brother and hurried up the wall since his load was lighten. When he made it to the top, they poked their heads out of the window to make sure there was no one outside.

"I think it's safe, I don't see anyone." Jake said.

"Yeah, don't see anyone eith-AHHH!" Will screamed when a twenty-five foot giant grabbed him and his brother.

"What do we have here?" The giant roared and eyed the trembling intruders in his hands. "A couple of thieves? Well, I have a place for thieves!" The giant growled as he stormed out of the room and into the dark corridor.

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Next time: Ron leaves Middleton to find his brothers.

1. Ron left the milk in a box outside because it was cold outside and the milk would not go bad as quickly if it were kept cold. Think of it as a makeshift refrigerator.

2. A shilling was a type of currency used in England in the 18th century that was worth the equivalent of 12 pennies, or since the plural form of penny is pence, 12 pence.

A/N: Well, I hope you liked this chapter, I know it mainly focused on the two original characters, but the next chapter will be more normal. Thanks for reading and let me know what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Disney owns Kim Possible and all related characters. Any original characters seen here are figments of my imagination.

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"Ronnie!" Sarah called franticly from her bedroom.

"Yeah, Ma?" Ron answered her when he came in her room. He was outside chopping wood and rushed inside when he heard her call. "You had another bad dream, didn't you?" He asked when he saw her in her panicked state.

"Yeah, could you bring me some water, please?" She asked and put her head in her hands and rubbed her forehead.

"Sure, I'll be right back."

Ron was worried about his mother. She was having nightmares more and more. They started soon after his brothers left to find work. That was almost two months ago, and they had not heard anything from them. As time went on, the nightmares came more often, and he was not sure how much more his mother could take. Her health was already poor, and the stress she was feeling now, was not helping her.

Ron, himself, was starting to think that something had happened to them. He knew that his brothers would send word about their well-being, if for no other reason, they knew that their mother would worry. They may have been jerks to him, but they were never like that toward their mother. He hoped that they were okay. They were his brothers after all, and even if he did not like what they had become, he still loved them. Ron brought his mother a cup of water and sat beside her on the bed. He waited for her to finish drinking before he asked her about her dream.

"It was horrible. This time they were in an accident. I don't want to think about it." She said as tears ran down here cheeks and she shook her head as if the images of her dream would disappear.

"It's ok Mom, it was only dream. It wasn't real." Ron said in a gentle tone and he gave her a hug to comfort her. He just held his mother and let her cry. He really wished they would hear from his brothers soon.

"Are you hungry?" Ron asked when she stopped crying.

"No, thanks for asking though. I just want to rest."

"Ok, then. I have a few things I have to finish outside before it gets dark, if you need anything, just call."

-()-()-()-()-()-()-

"Hey, Ron! How are you today?" Ann asked as she walked up to him. She was there for her daily check-up with Sarah.

"Oh hey, Mrs. P. I'm ok I guess." Ron said with a sigh.

"You don't sound ok. Are you feeling alright?"

"Yeah I'm fine, its…well I'm worried about Mom. She had another nightmare."

"Really? I'm sorry to hear that. I better get in there and check on her." Ann said as she hurried into the house. She shared Ron's concern for Sarah. Over the past two months, her mental health was starting to affect her physical health.

Ron continued with his work until Ann was finished with her examination. When she came out of the house, Ron walked with her to her wagon. "How is she?"

"About the same as she's been. She looked tired, which I expected. She said she hasn't been sleeping lately, so I gave her a bottle of my herbal medicine. Have her take a spoonful before bed, it'll help her sleep."

"Ok, I'll make sure she takes it. So…how's Kim?

"Haha, I knew that was coming. She's good, she misses you and told me to tell you she says 'hi'."

"Good, I'm glad she's doing well. Tell her I miss her too and I'll try to make it over there to see her soon. Right now, I'm afraid to leave Mom alone."

"I'll be sure to tell her. Well, I better get going. I have another stop to make before I head home." Ann gave Ron a hug and a kiss on the cheek before she climbed into her wagon.

"Ok, be safe and don't forget to tell Kim that I love her."

"I'll tell her." Ann said with as smile. She could see how much he loved Kim, and she could not think of anyone else that she would want her daughter to be with, than Ron Stoppable. She hoped that they would get married soon, she wanted grandchildren, and she was sure they would make great parents.

Ron watched her pull away before he went to see his mother. He poked his head in her room and saw that she was sleeping. He did not want to disturb her, so he put another log on the fire. He hoped she got a few hours of sleep before he woke her for dinner.

-()-()-()-()-()-()-

Sarah woke up from her nap and for a split second, she was panicked. She had, had another nightmare. When she realized that it was a dream and it was not real, she calmed down a little bit. It did little to calm her nerves to know it was a dream. She knew they were dreams, but she could feel that something terrible had happened to her sons. She knew they needed help. At that moment, she made a decision, one she wished she did not have to make, but it was necessary. She pulled the covers back, got out of the bed, grabbed her cane, and limped to the door.

"Hi Ronnie." She said as she entered the living area and slowly limped to a chair by the fire.

"Hi Mom, what're you doing out of bed?" Ron asked as he went to help her into the chair.

"I just felt like getting out of that room. Come sit beside me, I need to talk to you about something."

"Ok…what's up?" He asked with a little concern in his voice.

Sarah took a second to gather her thoughts before she spoke. "Ronnie, I think, it's time for you to go find your brothers. We should've heard from them by now, and I have a terrible feeling that something has happened to them."

Ron figured something like this was coming, but he did not know how he was going to handle it. He, too, had the feeling that something had happened, and he wanted to help them, but he could not leave his mother alone. "Yeah, I know what you mean, but if I go to look for them, who's going to look after you? I can't leave you here by yourself?"

Sarah had not thought of herself when she came to her decision. It totally slipped her mind that she would not have someone there to help her. While she may not be completely handicapped, she was not in a position where she could lift heavy logs to build a fire and she got winded if she walked too much, so making herself something to eat would be tiring. As she though about it, her motherly instincts won out and she would sacrifice herself for her children. Then, just as she was about to tell Ron to go anyways, she had an idea.

"Maybe Kim or Ann could help out."

"Yeah, I guess. I should go see them after dinner and let them know what's going on." Ron said.

-()-()-()-()-()-()-

Ron shivered slightly as he walked aimlessly up the dirt pathway to the Possible's house. His mind was on his family and not on where he was going. Thankfully, he did not have to think about what he was doing, he had made the walk between Kim's farm and his so many times that he could do it with his eyes closed.

Kim and her family were enjoying a quiet dinner when they heard a knock at the door. _"Now who can that be?"_ Mr. Possible wondered as he left the table to open the door. When he saw who their visitor was, he smiled. "Ronald?" James said as he extended his hand to shake Ron's. "It's been a while, come in, come in! Kim will be happy to see you."

"Yeah, I want to see her too, but I really came by to talk to all of you." Ron said as he entered the house.

"Ron!" Kim cheered as she rushed to the door to give him a hug and a chaste kiss. While Kim knew, she could get away with more things with her father than her mother; boys were the one thing her father freaked out about the most. "I missed you!"

"I missed you too KP, but I can't stay long. I need to talk to you and your parents about something important." He said in a serious tone as they walked to the table.

"Really? What's the sitch?"

"Hi Ron." Mrs. Possible greeted him when he sat down at the table. "Is everything ok with Sarah?" Ann knew that he did not want to leave his mother alone, so for him to be there now, she wondered if something had happened to her.

"No, she's fine, but she is the reason I'm here. I have to leave for a little while to go look for my brothers. We haven't heard anything from them since they left, and we should've heard from them by now. Mom's really upset and we're both worried that something has happened to them, so…I was hoping that she could stay here while I'm gone. I can't leave her alone, and it would make me feel a lot better about leaving if I knew she was here."

"Of course, she can stay here, but are you sure you want to leave? What if something happens to you while you're looking for them?" Ann asked with concern in her voice.

"They're my brothers and I have to help them."

Everyone at the table knew Ron was right, and if one of their own were in trouble, they would do everything in their power to help them. "You're right Ron. We'd be happy to help in anyway we can." Ann said. The rest of the family nodded their heads to her statement and said a few heartfelt words to Ron to reassure him that his mother would be okay with them.

"Thanks guys. I really appreciate it." Ron said with a relieved sigh. He felt like a small load had been lifted off his shoulders. He had no doubt that the Possible's would be there for him when he needed them, but he still wanted to ask. He did not want them to think he would just assume they would take on the task of taking care of his mother full time, for who-knew-how-long.

"It's our pleasure Ronald. You're like family to us and families stick together!" James chirped.

Ron stayed for a few more minutes and discussed his mother and his plans to go to Lowerton and Go City since he knew his brothers were headed that way when they left. He hoped that he found them soon because he was not sure how much more stress his mother could take, and he did not want to take advantage of the Possible's generosity.

When everything was settled, Ron wanted to get home to his mother and get some sleep so he could get an early start. "Well I better get going. Thanks again, for looking after Mom."

"Don't worry about her while you're gone, dear. We'll take good care of her; you just worry about yourself and your brothers." Nana said as she handed Ron a sack of fresh milk and cheese to take with him on his trip.

Ron thanked them for the food and then said his goodbyes. Kim walked him outside to see him off. When they were alone on the porch, Ron gave her a hug and cuddled with her. They barley noticed the cool breeze blow past them as they enjoyed a few moments of closeness.

"Maybe I should go with you." Kim said as she nuzzled his neck with her nose.

"Kim, no. I don-" Ron was going to protest, but Kim cut him off.

"Ron, Please! I want to help you!" She wanted to go with him to make sure he was okay and if Jake and Will were in trouble, she wanted to help them too.

"Kim." Ron sighed and caressed her hair. "I know you want to help, but I need you to stay here. It'll help me focus on what I have to do, if I know you're safe here, and Mom has somebody to look after her."

"But-"

"Please, Kim!" Ron said, almost as if he was pleading with her.

"Ok Ron, you win, I'll stay." Kim conceded. "And don't worry about your mom; I'll take care of her as if she was my own mother." She did not want to let him go alone, but she could tell that this was something that Ron wanted to do on his own so she would respect his decision.

Ron was touched that Kim loved him so much, that she would willingly leave her family and set out into the unknown with him to find his brothers, especially when he knew she did not like them very much. His mind floated to the memories of them as a couple as he held her in his arms, and he realized that they had only become closer in the past two and a half years. He did not think that was possible considering how close they were before they started dating, but he was happy to say he was wrong about that. He loved her more than life itself, and he knew she felt the same way.

Ron was so over come with emotion that he cupped her face with his hands and leaned down to give her, a soft kiss. The kiss was sweet and almost shy, like the first time they kissed, but it did not take long for their passion to grow. Kim moaned into his mouth as his hands slowly moved from her face down to her waist. It had been a long time since they shared a passionate kiss, that they silently decided they missed kissing each other like that and they needed to find more time to be alone so they could do it more often.

"I love you so much!" Ron whispered as he buried his face in her hair and tightened their embrace.

"I love you too, Ron. Please be safe out there, I don't know what I would do without you."

"Don't worry, I'll come home to you in one piece, and maybe when I get back, we can…um…get married…you know, if you want to."

"What?" Kim said and she pulled pack from him and looked him in the eye. Her eyebrows were raised, and she looked confused. She was not sure she had heard him correctly.

"Um…haha…I um…well Kim…Will you marry me?" Ron said nervously. He had not intended on proposing right then, but he loved her more than anything in the world, and he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

"Yes! Yes! Yes! I've been waiting for you to ask me that for a long time now!" Kim squealed as she threw herself into his arms and kissed him again, only this time the kiss did not start out slow, it was intense to begin with.

Ron's knees nearly buckled from the kiss and he wondered if Kim would always be able to make him weak in the knees from a kiss. He was thankful that he was still standing after Kim broke the kiss. When his head stopped swirling, he remembered something important about his proposal.

"Hey, Kim…if you don't mind, can we keep this to ourselves for a little while? I haven't asked your father for permission yet, and I don't want him to get mad that I didn't ask him."

"Well I'm sure he'll say yes, but it'll be our little secret until you get home." Kim replied with a smile. She thought it was sweet that he respected her father enough to ask for permission to marry her.

"Thanks, KP!" Ron leaned down and gave her a quick kiss before he left to get ready for his trip. He practically skipped home with a wide smile on his face. For this first time, in a long time, he had something to look forward too!

-(Next Day)-

It was mid-morning when Ron and Rufus arrived in Lowerton. Ron was a little nervous and he felt his stomach do a couple of flips when he though of finding his brothers there. Part of him hoped that he did not find them, because if they were this close to home and they did not bother to send word of their well-being for two months...well he might just lose his temper with them because of the stress they put him and his mother through. The other half of him hoped that he did find them in town. It would be a welcomed relief knowing that his brothers were safe and he could return to his mother and Kim sooner than expected.

"Where should we start first, Buddy?" Ron asked the naked mole rat sitting on his shoulder.

"Over there!" Rufus squeaked as he pointed to general store.

"Ok. Let's hope for some good luck." Ron said and crossed his fingers. Rufus crossed his claws and smiled at the teen as they walked over to the store.

The pair entered the store and saw a tall, bald man helping a young boy load sacks of flour onto a shelf. He approached the two, but before he could ask about his brothers, a young woman asked the man a question.

"Mr. Smarty…How much are these gloves?" She was a pretty girl, maybe a year or two older than Ron, and she looked like she came from a wealthy family based on the way she was dressed.

The storeowner looked up from his task and noticed the gloves in his costumer's hands. They were long, blue silk gloves that had a floral pattern woven into the material. "Miss Leon, these gloves are £1.50, and I was told that they are a one of a kind design."

"Oh really, I'll take them! Just charge them to Daddy's account."

"Sure thing!" He said happily, as he left his son to finish stocking the flour. "Bring them over to the counter and I'll wrap them in a nice box for you to carry them home in." Martin was always happy to see Camille Leon in his store. She and her mother had expensive taste. Unfortunately, for him, they were one of two families in town that could afford to spend money on frivolous things.

"I'll be with you in just a minute." Martin said to Ron when he noticed that he had a second customer in the store.

"Take your time." Ron answered. He decided to look around the store, while he waited, to see what they had to offer. The store resembled the general store in Middleton, and for a minute, he thought he was there. He was lost in his thoughts of home when Martin walked up to him.

"Can I help you find anything, son?"

"Well, I'm really here for information. See, my older brothers, Jake and Will Stoppable came to Lowerton about two months ago looking for a job, and well, we haven't heard from them since they left Middleton, so my mother sent me to find them. I'm not sure if they stopped by your store, but I thought I would ask if you remember seeing them."

"Now that you ask, I do remember a couple of guys that came through here looking for work a while back. I didn't have anything for them so I sent them to the Carpenter and the Blacksmith, but I've been by both places since then, and I haven't seen them."

"_Well that narrows a few places for me." _Ron thought as he listened to Martin.

"Come to think about it, the last time I saw them, I was closing my shop when I saw them go into the Tavern, across the street."

"Really? I'll check there next. Thanks for the help." Ron said. He was happy that he found someone who remembered his brothers and was able to point him in the right direction.

"You're welcome, and I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help. Good luck finding them." Martin said as he watched Ron walk towards the door.

Ron crossed the street and entered the tavern. He did not see anyone behind the bar and the place looked empty. The room was poorly lit and Ron was starting to get a little freaked out by the place. It was a little early for lunch, but he did not think that it would empty. He walked up to the bar and waited for a few minutes before he called out, "Um…excuse me!" Hoping that it would get someone's attention. He did not have to wait long for his answer.

"I'm sorry sweet-ums! I'm Amy, how can I help you?" The woman said, in an overly cheerful tone.

Ron was a bit thrown off by her bright personality, considering how dark the place was. "Amy, my name is Ron, and I'm in town looking for my brothers. I wonder if you remember them. Their names are Will and Jake Stoppable. They were here about two months ago looking for work."

"I remember them!" Amy practically shouted and Ron was startled by her outburst. "How can I forget those two cutie pies? The stayed the night here and then left for Go City!"

"Really, thanks Amy…you've been a big help." Ron said to the cheerful woman as he left the tavern and headed toward the road that would take him to Go City.

-()-()-()-()-()-()-

"Cheese!" Rufus chattered and rubbed his rumbling belly. He and Ron had been traveling for hours since they left Lowerton and his stomach was telling him that it was time to eat.

"Yeah, I'm hungry too. Let's eat!" The two friends decided sit along the side of the road and rest for a little bit and enjoy some milk and cheese. "Here you go little buddy!" Ron said as he broke off a chunk of cheese for Rufus and poured some milk into a small travel cup that he had brought.

"Thanks!" The mole rat squeaked before he started to devour his meal. Ron smiled at Rufus' behavior and then poured himself a cup of milk and broke off his own piece of cheese.

Ron was not sure, if he was really hungry, or if the cheese was just really good, but he was thoroughly enjoying his food. _"It's probably a little bit of both." _He thought to himself as he ate. Kim and her family made the best cheese that he had ever eaten.

As the pair ate their lunch/dinner, Ron noticed someone walking down the road towards them. When the person got closer, Ron could see that it was an elderly Asian man and he had a large bundle of sticks on his back.

"May I sit with you?" The man asked Ron when he was close enough.

"Sure." Ron said in a friendly tone. When he noticed the man struggling to take the bundle off his back, he jumped up and offered to help the man. "Here, let me help you take those sticks off your back. Man, these sticks are heavy, how long have your been carrying them?"

"All day. Thank you for your help. My name is Sensei, and what is your name?" He said as he sat down on the cool ground.

"You're welcome, and my name is Ron Stoppable and this is Rufus. It's nice to meet you!"

"Yeah!" Rufus squeaked to acknowledge the man.

"Likewise."

Ron sat down and picked up his cup and his cheese to continue his meal, but before he could take a bite, he noticed Sensei looking at his food. "Would you like some?" He offered the elderly man.

"Please. I have not eaten since early this morning."

"Well, we it's not much, but we can certainly share." Ron said with a smile. "My girlfriend and her family own a dairy farm and they make the best cheese in the world!" Ron bragged as he refilled his cup and gave it to Sensei. He then broke off a bigger chunk of cheese for Sensei than he had for himself and Rufus. He figured that the older man would need it more than he would. He was considerably younger, so he had more energy to spare.

"Thank you, again." Sensei said before he took a bite of his cheese. "You are right, Stoppable-san. This is the best cheese I have ever tasted."

"See, I told ya!"

"What is a nice young man like you doing out here, than at home?"

"Well, my older brothers left home two months ago, to find work, and we haven't heard from them since. It upset my mother not hearing from them, so we thought it would be best if I went to look for them. I hope I find them soon, it would really make my mother happy."

Sensei nodded to acknowledge Ron's answer, and took a sip of his milk. He remembered his brothers. He did not know their names and he did not have to hear Ron's story to know they were related, there was a strong family resemblance. He was glad he remembered the old proverb, _"Search seven times before you suspect anyone." _He found it refreshing to know that the whole family was not cold and selfish like his brothers. He could see that Ron's heart was kind and pure.

After some more small talk, Ron wanted to continue on his way. He did not want to waste too much daylight. "Well, we better get going, we have a pretty long walk ahead of us."

"Yes, it is getting late." Sensei said as he stood and reached for his bundle.

"You know what, I remember that you were walking in the same direction that we're headed, let me carry these sticks for you." Ron picked up the bundle before Sensei could protest and put them on his back. _"Man, these sticks are heavy for me. I can only imagine what they feel like for him." _He thought to himself.

"If you wish Stoppable-san, it will be your honor to carry them."

"No problem! Well, let's get going." Ron said as the three new friends walked down the road.

-()-()-()-()-()-()-

Ron, Rufus, and Sensei walked up the road for most of the afternoon talking and getting to know each other. The time flew by for them. It did not seem like they had been walking for as long as they had. By the time they got to the side road that led to Sensei's house, the sun was setting and it would be dark within the hour.

"Stoppable-san, it is late, please come with me to my house and let me return your kindness. You and Rufus may sleep there and then continue on to Go City in the morning. If you get an early start, you could make it by early evening."

Ron thought about it and he decided to take Sensei up on his offer, not because he wanted to be repaid for sharing his food and carrying the heavy load of sticks, but because he would need to find a place to stay for the night anyway. "Ok, we'll stay. Thanks for the offer!"

The small group left the main road and started up the hill into the woods. It was not a hard walk considering they were in the woods and it was not a well-traveled road. The dirt road was cleared, and it looked like someone cleared it on a regular basis. When they reached the halfway point of the hillside, Sensei pointed to a small house just off the road. "We are here."

"Cool, um…where would you like me to put these sticks?" Ron said, looking around for a place to put them.

"Please bring them in the house. I do not want them to get wet from the morning dew."

Ron entered the house behind Sensei and placed the bundle next to the fireplace. _"Whew! Man, does it feel good to get these sticks off my back!" _He thought as his back felt relief.

"Please sit here. I will have dinner ready shortly." Sensei said, while motioning to a chair next to the fireplace.

"Ok, is there any thing I can help you with? I can build the fire for you."

"As you wish, but please do not use the sticks from the bundle, they are not meant for the fire. There is a woodpile on the side of the house."

"O-Ok?" Ron said. He was a little curious why the bundle was not meant for the fire, but he decided not to question the man. He figured if Sensei had wanted him to know the reason, he would have told him.

Ron and Rufus saw a lantern beside the door and took it with them to gather wood. When they got to the woodpile, they saw that there was a small pile of chopped wood, and a bunch of logs that needed to be chopped. Ron decided to chop some of the logs so his older friend would not have to. Half an hour later, a very large pile of firewood stood where a small pile once sat.

When Sensei was finished making dinner, he came around the side of house to tell his guests that dinner was ready. When he saw the new pile, he was surprised. He had not expected Ron to do that. He just thought that the young man was going to gather a few logs. "Stoppable-san, I do not know what to say. I was not expecting this."

"Oh, it's no big! I knew you'd have to do it soon, so I thought I'd help you out."

"Thank you." Sensei said with a small bow. "Please come inside, dinner is ready."

Dinner was a simple meal of noodle and broth soup. Ron had never had a meal that included noodles, and he was not sure that he was going to like it at first, but when he tasted it, he loved it. "Sensei! This is really good!" He exclaimed. Rufus chattered a little to show that he liked the food too, but he was more interested in eating than talking.

"I am glad that you two find it enjoyable."

Ron smiled at the older man, and went back to eating his meal. He tried his best to show some manners and not gobble his food down, but he was having a hard time of it, since he was hungry and he thought the food was good.

After dinner, Ron was ready for bed. He was tired from walking all day and he needed to get an earlier start than normal since he wanted to make it to Go City by the next evening. "Thanks for dinner! We really liked it!" He said while suppressing a yawn.

"Thanks!" Rufus squeaked and rubbed his full belly, so Sensei would know he was grateful.

"You are welcome. I imagine that you are tired. Your bed is ready in the loft."

"Ok. I plan on getting an early start, and I don't know if you will be awake when I leave, so I want to say 'thank you' for letting us stay here tonight. I really appreciate it."

"Again, you are welcome. Before you retire for the night, I want to give you something to take with you on your trip." Sensei said. He walked into another room for a moment and returned with a small leather bag.

"Stoppable-san, please take this bag with you, it will protect you from any danger."

"Danger?" Ron said with a puzzled expression.

"If you are ever in a situation where you are in danger, call to the bag an-"

"Call it?" Ron said, interrupting the older man and raised his eyebrows. He looked in the bag and saw…flowers? Lotus blossoms, to be precise, but Ron did not know what kind of flowers they were. _"How are flowers going to protect me?" _He thought when he saw the bag's contents.

"Yes. Just remember to call it and it will come to your aid."

"Umm…ok, sure."

"Well, the hour grows late, and we all need our rest. It was nice to meet you Stoppable-san. I wish you luck in finding your brothers." Sensei said and bowed to his guest.

"Thanks, it was nice to meet you too. Sleep well." Ron returned the bow and then climbed into the loft to get a few hours of sleep.

-()-()-()-()-()-()-

Ron and Rufus left Sensei's house a little after four in the morning. It was early for them to be awake, but Ron wanted to get an early start. When the two sleepy friends approached the road, Ron heard a faint cry. He was not sure what it was, but it sounded like someone was in pain.

"You hear that buddy?" He asked Rufus. He wanted to make sure that someone else heard the cry. He was tired and he thought that his ears could be playing tricks on him.

"Yeah!" Rufus answered and pointed up the hill. He actually had better hearing than his human friend, so he could tell what direction the sound was coming from.

"Maybe we should go see if they need help. I mean, it sounds like someone's hurt."

Rufus nodded, pointed up the hill, and said, "Uh-huh! Let's go!"

The road was well lit and easily navigated by the two travelers since it was clear night, there was not a cloud in the sky. Also, the road was so well cared for, that the trees around the road were trimmed and allowed a lot of light to shine on the road. The further up the road they went, the louder and more discernable the cry became. It was more of a loud, pained moaning. _"Wow, someone must really be hurting!"_ Ron thought as he quickened his pace up the hill.

He nearly sprinted up the hill so he could get the ailing person as soon as possible. By the time Ron reached the top of the hill, he was sweating and breathing heavily. When he caught sight of the building in front of him, he nearly lost what little breath he had left. A large castle stood a few hundred yards ahead of him.

"Is this where…where the cry is coming from?" Ron asked as he tried to catch his breath. Before Rufus could answer, a loud cry could be heard coming from the castle. "I spoke too soon." Ron said sarcastically.

Ron walked over to the castle entrance and looked for a guard. He surprisingly did not see one. Another thing that he found odd was that there were not any lights in any of the windows. He decided to walk around the building to see if there was someone on the side or backside of the castle that he could talk to.

When he made it to the other side of the building, a bright light could be seen coming from a room on the third floor. Ron looked up at the window, noticed that it was open, and wondered if he should call up there and ask if anyone could hear him. Rufus climbed down Ron's leg and started looking in the windows that where at ground level. It was obvious that there was a lower level to the castle, so the naked mole rat wanted to see if he could locate anyone. Ron jumped when the cry was heard again. It sounded like it was coming from the window. He was about to yell up there, when Rufus started to squeak frantically and point at a window at the far end of the castle.

"Whoa, calm down little buddy! What's got you so wigged?" Ron inquired as he ran over to where Rufus was.

"Look! Look!" The pink mole rat exclaimed as he pointed at the window.

Ron got down on his knees and looked in the window. He had to squint because there was only a small, dim lantern lighting the room. He could barely see what was inside. Then, Ron's jaw dropped and his eyes bugged out when he realized why Rufus was so freaked out. He rubbed his eye and looked again to make sure of what he was seeing.

"No, this can't be right." Ron whispered in disbelief. As he looked in the window a third time, he experienced a wave of different emotions when he saw his brothers huddled together, in a locked cell.

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Next time: Ron attempts to rescue his brothers.

A/N: Hope you like the story so far! Thanks for reading and please leave a review!


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

As usual, Disney owns Kim Possible and all related characters. Any original characters seen here are figments of my imagination.

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Ron did not know what to do. He just saw his brothers locked in a castle dungeon and he had no idea why they were there. The only thing that he was sure of was that he had to get them out of there. He could not go home and tell his mother that Jake and Will were in chains. Her health was already deteriorating from the prospect of something bad happening to them, if he confirmed it, she would only get worse.

"Come on Rufus!" Ron said as he grabbed the naked mole rat and put him on his shoulder. The blond teen then ran around the castle and went to the main entrance.

"Hello! Is anybody there?" Ron yelled as he banged on the door and waited for an answer. "Hello! HELLO! HELLO! Somebody, please answer!" He called and banged the door even harder, but nobody answered. _"What is it with this place? Why is nobody answering the door?" _He thought as he stepped back from the door.

Ron looked around a bit and noticed a few buildings that looked like servant's quarters and stables in the distance. They were far enough from the castle that it was possible that they did not hear him yelling, but it was impossible for them not to hear the loud moaning that was coming from inside the castle. He guessed that they were all inside helping the ailing person, but it still did not answer the question as to why no one was answering the door.

"Fine. If no one is going to answer, then I'm just going to go in and find them." Ron said to the air. He approached the door again and tried to open it but it was locked. "Ok, forget the door, I'll just climb the wall and go in the window."

He ran around the castle to where he saw the light coming from the window. He looked up and saw that the window was still open. He then grabbed Rufus from his shoulder and put him in his pocket where he would be safe. He did not want to take the chance of him falling while he was climbing. Ron started up the wall and tried to think about what he was going to say to whomever he saw inside. His thoughts were all over the place and he could not keep them straight in his head as he hurried up the wall.

When he reached the window ledge, he looked in the window and saw the same treasure that his brothers saw a few months earlier. However, Ron could care less about the gold and jewels in the room; it did not belong to him, so he put it out of his mind. What he was concerned about, was brothers. He just had to find a way to free them.

He looked around the room and heard the loud cry once more. He did not see anyone, but there was a very large pile of gold coins that was blocking his view of the other half of the room. He decided to go in and see if he could find someone to talk too. When he reached the floor, he was in awe of the size of the room. He did not notice how big it was, until he looked up and noticed how high the ceiling was. He carefully searched the room, but found it difficult since it was such a large room, and there were so many piles of treasure, he could easily miss someone who was behind a mound. Then just as he was about give up with this room, and search another, he felt something grab him from behind.

"WHAAA!" Ron screamed as he was picked up and he realized that he was very high off the ground. He was then turned around and found himself face to face with a very angry, very tall giant.

"What are you doing in here?" The giant roared as he shook Ron up and down.

"I…I…I…" Ron sputtered. He had never seen anyone that big before and it scared him.

"You were here to steal from me, weren't you? Weren't you?" The giant shook Ron again as he spoke.

"No! I was trying to find someone to talk to about my brothers. They're in your dungeon."

"Why didn't you knock on the door, instead of breaking in?"

"I-I did knock, but nobody answered so I saw the open window and climbed in because I could hear a cry come from in here!" Ron was trembling at this point, but he looked the giant in the eye as he answered his questions.

The giant was starting to get the feeling that his new prisoner was telling him the truth; the blond teen looked into his eyes when he spoke, and he noticed that nothing came out of his pockets when he shook him. He was looking for evidence that he was being robbed, but he did not see one single coin or jewel come out of Ron's pockets.

"Very well then." The giant said in a calmer and much quieter voice and left the room.

He carried Ron into another room and lit a few lanterns to light the room. Ron figured that this was a dining area because of the table and chairs. The giant then sat down and placed Ron on the table in front of him.

"What's your name?"

"Umm…I'm Stop Ronable." He said nervously and then shook his head. "I mean Ron Stoppable."

"Where are you from?"

"M-Middleton"

"That's pretty far from here, why are you here and not there?"

Ron was not sure where this line of questioning was going but he figured that he better answer the questions and hope for the best. "I was looking for my brothers. They left home to find work about two months ago, and when we did not hear from them, my mother and I feared that something bad had happened to them, so I left home to find them."

The giant though about that answer for a few moments and then asked another, "How did you know they were here?"

"I didn't at first. I befriended a man that lives down the hill, and he offered to let me stay with him for the night since I was walking to Go City and he knew I would need a place to sleep. When I left, I could hear a cry coming from up here, so I followed it because it sounded like someone needed help. I didn't know that my brothers were here until Rufus looked in one of the windows and saw them." He put his hand in his pocket and pulled Rufus out. The poor mole rat looked a little nauseous from the shaking he endured earlier. Ron noticed that his little friend looked ill, so he put him back in his pocket to get some rest.

The giant looked surprised by Ron's answer. "You came all the way up here because you wanted to help?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

The giant put his hand on his right cheek and looked down at Ron. "I doubt you will be able to help. None of my servants have been able to help."

"Really? What's wrong?" Ron asked with genuine concern. He had calmed down enough to where fear was not the only emotion that he could express.

"The cry you heard was from me. I've had a sore tooth for weeks. It hurts all the time now, even when I'm not eating, and I haven't been able to find anyone that can make it feel better."

"Oh, well I'm sorry to hear that Mr…"

"Mike, my name is Mike, but everyone calls me Big Mike."

"Ok, Big Mike." Ron thought about the giant's situation and he had an idea. He hoped it worked, he knew what it was like to have a sore tooth and what a relief it was to have it fixed. "Hey, open your mouth and let me look at your tooth.

"Umm, ok." Mike said as he held his palm out for Ron. Once Ron was in his hand, he lifted him up to his mouth and opened it so he could look in.

Ron noticed the bad tooth right away. It was a molar on the right side of the bottom row of teeth. The tooth was slightly discolored and there was a crack in it. Ron looked up at Big Mike and said, "Do you have any rope?"

"Rope? Of course I have rope, but why do you need it?"

"You'll see."

Big Mike shrugged and left the castle with Ron in search of the stables. There were a few different sizes of rope to choose from because there were two different sizes of horses. There were regular size horses for the servants and two horses that looked like they were big enough to carry Big Mike.

"What size do you want?" The giant asked as held up the rope. In his hands, the regular size rope looked like string and the giant rope looked like regular rope.

"The small one." Ron answered. "Ok, pick me up again and let me tie this to your tooth."

Big Mike was curious as to why he needed rope tied to his tooth, but he was desperate enough to have his mouth feel better, that he was willing to try anything, no matter how bizarre it sounded.

After Ron tied the rope to the giant's tooth, the two men went back to the dining room and Ron tied the other end of the rope to the handle of the door. "Now, when I tell you too, I want you to slam the door closed." Big Mike nodded to answer. He was still a little confused as to how this was going to help him feel better but he was going to go with the flow.

"Ok, dude, close the door."

Big Mike slammed the door with no hesitation, and then, grabbed his cheek and hollered in pain when the tooth popped out of his mouth. "OOOWWW!" A single tear ran down his cheek.

"Rinse your mouth out with this water." Ron said as he pointed to a large cup that was sitting on the table.

Big Mike did as he was told and then he started to smile. He picked Ron up and started to laugh and dance around the room. "The pain is gone! HAHAHAHAHA! You did it, the pain is gone!"

Ron laughed at the giant's behavior. "Well, I'm glad I was able to help."

"You were a big help! I want to thank you for making me feel better!" Mike said as he carried Ron out of the room.

"It was no big, but you're welcome anyways."

"I want to reward you." Mike said as he walked in to the treasure room. He put Ron down so he was standing in front of him. "I want to give you anything you want, if I have it, it's yours. Go ahead, pick anything!" He said as he motioned around the room to indicate that Ron had free reign.

Ron looked around and saw what Big Mike was offering him. All he needed was a couple of handfuls of what was in front of him and he would never have to worry about money again. He thought about what was being offered to him for a few moments and then turned and looked at Big Mike. "I've made my decision. I know what I want."

"Ok, what is it." Big Mike said with a wide smile.

"I want my brothers."

"You, what?" The giant said and his expression turned to one of confusion.

"I want my brothers."

"Are you sure you want to give this up for those two dirty thieves. I caught them trying to steal from me. That's why they're in my dungeon."

Ron was actually surprised by the reason that his brothers were imprisoned. One of the biggest morals his parents tried to instill them, was honesty. They always stressed _"Always earn an honest days pay for an honest days work."_ and _"Never take what is not yours."_ Ron could practically hear his father speaking to him.

"Yes, I know what I am giving up, but I would rather have my brothers. The can be jerks and self-centered, but they are my brothers. I may not like what kind of men they've become, but I love them and my mother loves them. It would break her heart if I left them here. I would rather live in poverty knowing that my brothers are free, than live in the lap of luxury knowing that my brothers are locked in a cell. So, please, I'd like to take my brothers home with me."

Big Mike thought about Ron's request for a moment and almost denied it, but he had given his word. "A promise is a promise; you may have your brothers." He said with sigh.

"Thanks, you don't know what this means to me and my mother."

The giant was surprised by Ron's decision. He certainly was not expecting that, considering what he had offered the teen. On the other hand, he was proud of him. Anyone that genuinely thought of others before he thought of himself, and did so on more than one occasion, was a person that truly deserved to be rewarded.

"You know what...you have no idea how much pain I was in, and to show you how thankful I am that pain is gone, I'm going to give you your brothers and some money to take home with you."

"What?" Ron gasped in disbelief as his head started to spin from the realization of what Big Mike said. He was going to get his brothers and money to support his family! It was almost too much for him, he had to sit down and let things sink in before he did anything else.

-()-()-()-()-()-()-

Ron stood silent and lost in his own thoughts, in front of a door that led into Big Mike's dungeon. The giant told him to go down to the entrance and wait for him while he went to talk to one of his servants about preparing his departure. Ron was not sure what he meant by that, but he really was not concerned about it at the moment; right now, he was racking his brain trying to think of what he was going to say to Jake and Will when he saw them. He was so mad at them for getting themselves in this mess. All they had to do was look for a job and earn an honest days pay. Instead, they decided to take the easy way out, by stealing.

Ron's thoughts were disturbed, when he heard Big Mike come down the stairs. He looked up from the spot he had been staring at for the past ten minutes and took a deep breath to help steady his emotions. While he was mad at his brothers, he was also worried about their physical state. They had been imprisoned for two months, and he had not heard good things about prisons.

Big Mike unlocked the door and stepped into the dungeon, ahead of Ron. Jake and Will looked up at the giant in fear and wondered why he was there. This would be the first time they had seen the giant since he captured them trying to steal from him. "You two thieves stand up!" Big Mike said loudly. His voice echoed around the cell scaring the two occupants. As they stood, their knees shook from fear. Ron himself was a little scared from the sound, as the echoes made it sound worse than it was.

"I want you two to know that you are being released, but not because I had a change of heart." The giant continued. He stepped to the side so they could see Ron. As soon as Jake and Will saw him, their faces slowly morphed into one of surprise as they realized that their little brother was standing next to their captor. "I'm letting you go, because Ron helped me when no one else could, so as a token of my appreciation, I offered him anything he wanted, and he actually turned down my money and asked for you two scoundrels. I suggest that you two be thankful that you have a brother that cares for you, because I don't know many people that would turn down a fortune for a pair of jerks!"

Jake and Will looked at their brother in amazement and they could hardly believe what they were hearing. They wanted to know how Ron found them, as they were sure that most people in the area did not know that this castle existed. "Ron? How did you find us here?" Will asked when he found his voice.

Ron was about to answer but Big Mike spoke before he could, "I'll give you a few minutes alone with them to talk. I need to check on a few things." Then the giant handed Ron the keys and winked. "Let them out when you're done."

"Sure thing." Ron said and watched the giant leave the cell. Ron then turned and assessed his brothers. He could tell that they were not happy to be locked in a cell but other than that, they seemed fine. They looked like they had been well cared for. "How are you two doing?" He asked.

"How do you think we're doing? We've been locked in here for two months!" Jake snapped.

"Well you only have yourself to blame for that!" Ron snapped back. He was in no mood for his brother's attitude. "But that's not what I meant. How are you two feeling? You look like you have been taken care of."

"We were." Jake answered in a quiet voice. He may not have liked being there, but they were not left to rot in that cell. Everyday, one of Big Mike's servants would bring them their meals, they were given a chance to bathe, and they had blankets and pillows for them to use when they slept.

Ron nodded to acknowledge his brother. He was happy to hear that they were looked after while they were there and they were not neglected. "Can you let us out now?" Will asked a little irritated that he was still in the cell.

"Not yet, I want to talk to you first." Ron said calmly, despite the fact that his insides were in turmoil.

"WHAT! You want to TALK?" Jake spat. "What could you possible want to talk about? We are-" Jake did not get to finish is rant because Ron quickly cut him off.

"HEY!" Ron yelled so it would get Jake's attention. "You are in here because YOU were stupid enough to steal instead of getting a job! Now, you will listen to what I have to say, or I will leave you here!" Ron was bluffing about leaving his brothers there, of course, but they did not know that, judging by the tone of his voice.

Both Jake and Will were caught off guard by Ron's outburst. They did not know why he was so upset with them; they were the ones that were in jail, not him. He had been at home the whole time. But, to be on the safe side, they did not voice their opinion, just incase he did leave them there. "Alright, what's on your mind" Jake huffed and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Well, I could go on about how upset I am to know why you are here, but I won't, there's no need for that, and in the end, I'm not the one you have to talk to about that." Ron started. "Mom was worried sick over you two. She's been having terrible nightmares because we haven't heard from you. It was really starting to affect her health. That's why I left home, to find you, so both of us would know that you two were safe. It broke my heart to watch her and honestly, I was worried about you too. Now, we have plenty of time to discuss how I found you on the trip home, but right now, I want to talk to you about how things are going to go when we get home."

"What?" Will asked, and arched his right eyebrow. This side of Ron was not something he was use too.

"When we get home, you will tell mom what happened to you, and why. She won't like it, but she'll see that you are okay, so she'll get over it soon enough."

"Ok." Jake said.

"Next, things are going to change when we get home. You two have to help me around the farm. I can't continue to do it by myself, and it's not fair of you to have me do everything. I need some time to myself, and I will have time to do the things I want to do if you two help.

"What are we going to do for money? We haven't been able to grow enough crops to sell." Will asked sincerely. He was not arguing with Ron, he was just asking about their money situation.

"Yeah, I thought we needed to find work, and there isn't any in Middleton." Jake added.

"Well, that brings me to the next thing we should talk about. Big Mike was so happy that I helped him with his tooth that he wanted to give me some money as a reward. It may not be much, but hopefully it will be enough to feed and clothe us, and pay our taxes for a little while.

"Really? He's going to give you some of the money that's in his treasure room?" Will chirped in excitement.

"Oh my g—that's great!" Jake cheered. "If he gives us enough we might not have to work a-" Jake was cut off a second time by Ron.

"Did you hear anything I just said to you? I said you'd have to help me out around the farm; just because we have a little money now, doesn't mean we don't have to work. Eventually it will run out, just like our savings did. As soon as we get home, I am giving whatever money we get to mom so she can make sure it is used properly." Ron did not trust his brothers with making decisions about money. He knew if they got a hold of any of that money, they would spend it quicker than they could replace it.

"But-"

"No buts, now these are the terms you will have to live by if you want to get out of here." Ron said flatly and shook the cell door keys for emphasis. He was done talking with them over the matter. The sun had come up and he wanted to get home. He figured that they could make it home in one day if they pushed themselves, or if need be, they could stay in Lowerton for the night and head home the next morning.

"Fine." Will and Jake said coldly, at the same time. They were unaccustomed to Ron being so demanding, but at this point, they wanted out of their cell, so they agreed to his terms.

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Next time: Ron and his brothers run into some trouble on their way home.

Thanks for reading and please leave a review and let me know what you think!


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

As usual, Disney owns Kim Possible and all related characters. Any original characters seen here are figments of my imagination.

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"Is it ready?" Big Mike asked a servant that was hitching a horse to a wagon.

"Yes sir, I'm finishing up now."

"Great! I'll go see if Ron is ready to go." The giant said as he turned from the wagon towards the castle to find the youngest Stoppable. Fortunately, he did not have to go far, because he saw Ron and his brothers exiting the castle.

"Hey Big Mike, we're ready to go now." Ron said as he neared the giant.

"Great, well I had my servants ready a horse and cart for you. They just finished loading it and the horses are ready to go."

"Loading it? With what?" Ron was confused. He did not see why they needed a cart.

Big Mike grinned and led the blond teen over to the cart. He lifted the cover and showed Ron why he needed a cart. The teen's eyes bulged out, his jaw dropped and he started stammering. The back of the cart was filled to the brim will gold, sliver, and jewels! Ron nearly fainted from shock. Jake and Will saw this behavior and wondered why he was geeking out more than usual. They peered around their brother to see what he was looking at, and…they had the same reaction as the blond teen when they saw what was in the cart.

"Wwww—WHAT IS THIS!" Ron blurted out when his mind started working again. "I wasn't expecting all this. I thought it would be a few handfuls and that would be it!"

"There are a few handfuls in there...if you have hands my size." The giant smirked at his joke.

"Hehe." Ron laughed nervously. He was still trying to recover from his shock. "I don't know what to say, other than, 'thank you!'"

"You're welcome. I just wanted you to know how thankful I am that you helped me, even though you didn't have to."

Ron nodded and smiled with a big goofy grin. He had to fight back tears. He was so happy, that he felt like he was going to bust at the seams. Then, after a few minutes of pleasantries and small talk, it was time to go. The three brothers made sure the cover on the cart was tied tight so its contents could not be seen. Ron thanked Big Mike again for his generosity and the trio left for Middleton.

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The trip home was a tedious one as Ron insisted on taking things slow, despite the fact that he wanted to get home to his mother and Kim. It was almost as if they were walking instead of riding in a horse drawn cart. He was afraid to go too fast incase he tired the horses or spilled any of the cart's contents. He was sure that it was so full that any little jumble or bump in the road would spill some of the money or jewels out of the cart.

It was just getting dark as the three brothers approached the outskirts of Lowerton. Ron figured that they were about five miles from the town. "What do you two want to do? Spend the night in Lowerton or try to make it home tonight?" He was willing to go straight through, but it had been a long day, and he thought that his brothers might want to call it a night early.

"I'm up for whatever. I want to get home, but I'm kind of tired and I'm hungry." Jake said in response.

"Yeah, I don't care; either way is fine with me." Will added.

"Well, if we go home tonight, we can get a few things around the house done before we pick Mom up from Kim's house tomorrow. It'll be too late to bring her home when we get back." Ron said, thinking aloud.

"Sure." Both Will and Jake said quietly. The were quiet for most of the trip, except for asking Ron a few questions about their mother and how he found them, but other than that, they kept to themselves.

Ron nodded and concentrated on the road. He tried to make nice and have a few conversations with his brothers throughout the trip, but they were not interested in talking. He figured that they had a lot on their minds; today had been crazy for all of them. Ron decided to leave them to their thoughts so he could get back to his own. He knew that a lot of good could come of this money, not only for his family and Kim's, but also for Middleton. If the weather ever got better, maybe they could buy more land, hire some workers, plant a variety of crops, and give them away to those in need, instead of selling the crops to them. Also, he thought about donating money to the town's people to help them get back on their feet. These thoughts put a smile on Ron's face. He liked helping people, and now he was in a position where he could help them.

Ron's thoughts then turned to what his brothers said to him in the cell. He knew they did not like working on the farm, and they both wanted to get out on their own. He wanted his brothers to be happy, so he planned on giving them some money so they could start their own lives. He just hoped that they did not waste it.

As the three brothers neared Lowertown, they saw someone sitting by the side of the road. When they got closer, they noticed that it was a woman. She had her head down, and she was crying. "Excuse me Miss, do you need some help?" Ron said to the woman when he stopped the cart next to her. She never looked up at them, so Jake and Will went to help her up.

"Can we take yo—uunh," Ron groaned, as he was hit on the head from behind and fell forward off the cart onto the ground. His vision was blurred from the hit, but even with his impairment, he saw two men with masks come around the cart and attack his brothers. Will and Jake fought to protect themselves, but after a few well-placed hits, it was clear that they were losing to the bigger men. Then, one of the men punched Will in his stomach, pushing him into Jake. The two brothers stumbled from the force and fell to the ground in front of the wagon, out of the reach of their attackers. They looked at each other for a split second, and then they took off running towards town, leaving Ron behind.

Ron tried to stand, but he was having a hard time maintaining his balance. He was on his hands and knees when he looked up and made eye contact with the woman that lured them into this trap. She looked familiar to him, but he was not sure why. "What-" was all he said before he was hit on the head again, and everything went black.

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"I'm not sure that this is a good idea, Joe?" A large man asked as he tied an unconscious Ron to a chair in a dimly lit barn. "We've never taken anyone before. We've always just roughed them up a bit, robbed them, and left them by the road."

"I don't know, Sam. Camille said that she saw this guy in town the other day, so there's a chance he recognized her."

"Well, I still don't like it. What about the other two, won't they come looking for him and all that money?"

"They could, but they don't know what we look like, and they never saw her face."

"Ok, but what are we going to do with this one. We can't keep him, and if we let him go, he could tell the magistrate about her. Dad will have a hard time trying to explain this."

"He won't have to. Look, the whole town thinks the family is rich. There's enough money in this cart that we won't have to rob travelers again. All we have to do is get rid of this guy, and no one will be the wiser."

"I guess you're right."

"Of course I am. Now, let's go talk to Dad and figure out the best way to do it."

Sam nodded in response and double-checked the ropes that tied Ron's hands and feet to the chair before he followed his brother out of the barn. Joe made sure that the barn was locked, because they had nowhere to put their large amount of 'new found' money, so they left it in the cart for the time being.

When it was quiet, and he was sure that they were alone, Rufus scurried out of Ron's pocket and looked up at his unconscious friend. He climbed up to Ron's shoulder and started a desperate chatter in his ear. He had heard everything that was said between the robbers, so he made sure to stay out of sight so they would not know he was there. The naked mole rat knew he had to wake his friend up before they came back or things could get really bad for them.

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"Do…you…think…we're…safe…now?" Will sputtered as he bent over and put his hands on his knees so he could catch his breath. Despite the fact that it was cold outside, the sweat was pouring off him.

Jake was propped against a tree hoping that it would help him feel better. He had ran so hard and fast, that he wanted to throw up. "I…think…so." He responded. He figured that if their attackers wanted to chase after them, they would have caught up with them by now, but he had a feeling that once they saw what was in the back of the cart, they would forget about them.

The two brothers stayed where they were for a few more minutes until their breathing returned to normal. They could see Lowerton in the distance and they wanted to get there as quickly as they could without drawing attention to themselves. They thought that if they stayed the night at the tavern, they would be safe and they could make it to Middleton by early afternoon.

"Ok, how much money do you have?" Will asked as they approached the tavern.

Jake balked at his brother's question, "What makes you think I have any money? Mike took everything from us when he put us in that cell."

"I know you took a few coins and put them in your pocket when we were tying the cover on the cart." Will was not buying his brothers mock innocence.

"Fine." Jake signed as he reached into his pocket to see how much he had. He soon realized that he had dropped a few coins either during the fight or during their mad dash to safety. "I only have a pound coin left. What about you?"

"Ha, you're right I took some too, but whatever I had in my pocket fell out during the fight."

"Well, we have enough to get us through the night anyways."

"Yeah, I'm hungry!"

They walked into the tavern and saw a few people eating in there, but for the most part, it was quiet. They noticed that the table that they used during their first visit was open so they went and sat down. About a minute later, Amy came to take their order.

"Look who we have here!" The plump woman squealed when she saw them. "It's the two cutie pies again!" The brothers cringed from the over dose of energy and pep, but they endured it and just sat there.

"Hi." Jake and Will said flatly. They were in no mood for the woman, but they could not be rude or mean to her since they wanted a safe place to sleep later.

"Oh, my! What happened to you two?" Amy asked when she got a better look at them. Their faces showed heavy bruising and swelling from the beating that they had taken earlier, and Jake had a small cut on his left eyebrow.

"It's nothing. We got into an argument on our way here and you know, boys will be boys and fight with each other." Will lied to the woman. They did not know what their attackers looked like so there was a chance that they could be attacked again if someone over heard them talking about it. It was just safer to keep their mouths shut, so he made up a story so she would drop the subject

"Oh, ok." Amy chirped. She was satisfied with the answer and she actually believed it. "You know…your other brother was here the other day looking for you, did he ever find you?"

The two stiffened when Amy mentioned Ron. They knew it was wrong of them to run off and leave him lying on the ground with their attackers, but they were in survival mode at the time and it was every man for himself. "Yeah, we saw him, but he had something come up tonight so we said that we would meet up with him later." Jake hoped the woman bought the lie, because he was not going to explain the situation to her.

"Oh. Well, I'm sure you're hungry, two specials, and two ales?"

"Yes, please." Jake answered. Amy nodded and then left to get their food.

After the woman was out of hearing distance, Will had to ask the question that had been on his mind. "What are we going to do about Ron?"

"I don't know." Jake said and paused to think about the situation. "I bet he's ok. Those guys were just looking to rob us. When they see how much money is in that cart, they'll be in such a hurry to get it out of sight that they'll forget all about Ron."

"You think?"

"Yeah, he might show up here tonight. We'll tell Amy that if he shows up, to send him to our room and if he isn't here by morning, we'll just ask her to tell him that we went home. He has to come through here to get to Middleton, and you know he'll ask about us."

Will nodded and let the subject drop. He hoped that Ron showed up, because if he was not with them by morning, he had no idea what he was going to tell his mother.

-(?)-

Ron woke up from his unconscious state, and groaned in pain as the memories of the attack flooded into his mind. His head throbbed, his neck was stiff, and his legs and arms where bound behind his back, restraining him to a chair. He struggled to free himself, but was unable to loosen the ropes enough for him to escape. He looked around at his surroundings; it was dark, but he could tell that it was a barn from the light of a small lantern.

Rufus, who was asleep in Ron's lap, was awaken by the teen's desperate struggle to free himself. The little mole rat was so happy to see that his friend was awake, that he jumped up in excitement and chattered to get Ron's attention.

"Hey little buddy, what's going on?" Usually Ron could understand Rufus, but this time he was unable to understand the frantic mole rat. "Whoa! Whoa! Slow down. My head is still a little fuzzy from those two hits. Now tell me, where are we?"

Rufus tried to calm his nerves so he would be able to tell Ron what kind of trouble he was in, but he found it hard to do so. He took a few deep breaths and sat down hoping it would help. Unfortunately, before he was able to calm down enough so he could be understood, the door to the barn opened. Ron looked up at the door and saw five people entering the barn, three men, and two women, and they were carrying travel cases. Rufus saw the group of people enter the barn as well and scurried into Ron's pocket. He knew that they were unaware of his presence, so he figured he should hide, just incase he could help later on.

Ron noticed Rufus' behavior and wondered why his friend was acting like that, but he did not question it, he had more pressing questions on his mind. "Where am I, and how long have I been here?" He asked the group with a pained expression.

"It doesn't matter where you are, but if you must know, you've been here for about a day and a half." A man that looked like he was his father's age answered with an irritated tone.

"Ok, can you tell me why I'm here?"

The man let out a long sigh and glared at his children before he answered, "You're here because my daughter wasn't careful and let you see her face. Had you not see her face, you would have been left by the road, but since you did, we had to keep you out of sight until we decided on what we were going to do with you."

Ron looked at the younger woman and at first, he could not remember where he recognized her from, but then he noticed the blue gloves that where on her hands and it all came back to him. She was the same girl that he saw in the general store when he was asking about his brothers.

"I don't even know who she is, if you let me go, I won't tell anyone!" Ron pleaded with the group.

"That doesn't matter. You saw me and now you've seen them, so we can't take the chance and let you go. There's too much at stake." Camille said exasperated.

"What's at stake? The money? Take it, I don't care, just let me go!"

"Dude, you aren't listening!" Joe shouted as he stalked over to Ron and raised his fist, as if he was going to punch him in the face. "We can't let you go. Now, shut up about it. I'm sick of your whining already!"

"That's enough!" Mr. Leon said in a loud, but calm voice. "Joe, Sam, get the horses and our carriage ready. Camille, take these sacks and fill them with money from the cart. Once you get that taken care of, we'll gag him and put him in a trunk on the back so he can't be seen."

"Wh-Where are we going?" Ron asked. He did not like what he was hearing and he was scared of what was going to happen to him.

"London!" Camille squealed with excitement. She loved going to London, and now they had an excuse to go. She and her mother were going to have a great time shopping with their new money.

"Why?"

"Because, we're going to make it look like we're going away for a holiday, but in reality, we're putting you on a ship bound for an Australian penal colony so-" Mrs. Leon did not finish her sentence due to Ron's outburst.

"WHAT?" He screeched when he heard that. "I HAVE A SICK MOTHER TO TAKE CARE OF AND I'M GETTING MARRIED! I CAN'T BE SENT TO AUSTRAILIA! TAKE THE MONEY AND LET ME GO, PLEASE! Ron had tears in his eyes and he was trembling. He hoped that his sad and almost desperate pleas would change their minds.

"GRR! What did I say about your whining?" Joe growled as he ran over to where Ron was to hit him.

"Stop it!" Mr. Leon said as he grabbed his son's wrist. "We don't have time for this! Now go do what you were told." Joe huffed as he pulled his wrist from his father's grip and returned to the horses. Mr. Leon turned and looked at the trembling teen and he actually felt sorry for him, but he could not take the chance and let him go. There was no way that someone who had as much money as this kid did, would just give it up without trying to get it back. He really thought that sending Ron to a penal colony was better than the alternative. There was nowhere in England that they could take him that he could not find his way back to Lowerton, and he did not have the heart to kill the poor boy, so sending him to Australia was the best choice, because once he was there, there was little to no chance that he would ever return to England.

Ron sat in utter shock as and thought of his mother and Kim_. "This CAN'T be happening! Not now! Mom needs me, it would break her heart, and Kim's if I just disappeared and never returned. God there has to be a way out of this!"_ The blond teen looked around the barn looking for anything that would help him get away. He saw a few garden and farming tools lying around, unfortunately, he could not get to them with his hands and legs tied to a chair. Ron sighed and dropped his head in frustration. _"There has to be a way out of here! Come on, think Ron!"_ He closed his eye tightly hoping that it might him help him come up with a plan.

Ron knew that he was never very good at coming up with a plan on the fly. Kim was the one that could think quickly when the pressure was on. He on the other hand, had to give the situation some thought before he could come up with a solution. He just hoped that he came up with something before he was put on a ship. "_If I had know that we were going to be attacked I would have driven the cart a little faster so we could have reached town before dark; that way we would never have been in any danger of being robbed."_ Then, just as he finished his thought, his eyes shot open and moved to the bag that was tied to his rope belt. One word in that thought sent his mind into motion…_'Danger.'_ Suddenly he remembered Sensei's words, _"If you are ever in a situation where you are in danger, call to the bag, and it will come to your aid."_ Ron had forgotten all about the bag that Sensei had given him, because he did not see how a bag of flowers could help him, but at this point, he was willing to try anything to get out of his current predicament.

"Okay, Dad we're done. Do you want me to knock him out again before we gag him?" Sam said pointing at Ron.

"Maybe we should, that way he'll be out for most of the trip."

Ron knew that it was now or never, "Uhh…magic bag…I could use a little help here." He whispered. He waited a few seconds and watched in awe as the bag began to shake. It was not a very noticeable, but if you were looking directly at the bag, you would have seen it move. Ron's concentration on the bag was broken when he saw movement from his right side. He turned to see Sam approaching him with a wooden club. The blond teen flinched and turned his head away when the bigger man lifted the club to hit him. Then, he felt the bag jerk and heard two loud cracks. Ron opened his eyes just in time to see Sam fall to the ground unconscious. He turned to the source of the noise and what he saw amazed him.

There was a large stick, about five feet long and an inch and a half thick, floating in the air. The other members of the Leon family gasped in surprise at the sight. Then, as if on cue, their surprise turned to anger. Joe grabbed the closest thing to him, which was a rake and charged the staff. The staff moved forward and engaged its aggressor. When Joe swung his rake at the staff, it dodged his advance and instantly transformed itself into a sword, cutting the rake in half. Then the blade turned back into a staff and jabbed Joe in the stomach. When he doubled over in pain, it hit him in the back of the head, knocking him out.

Mr. Leon did not have as much luck in this situation as his sons did, if you could call it luck. As soon as the staff neutralized Joe, it flipped behind Mr. Leon faster than the middle age man could react and knocked him out in one blow. Then, what happened next, Ron found amusing. The staff turned its attention to the frightened women in the barn and slowly moved toward them. In their efforts to avoid the staff, they started to run around the barn in an erratic fashion. Unfortunately, for them, they were not paying attention to where they were going and ran into each other at full speed. The mother and daughter bounced off each other and lay unconscious on the ground.

When it was clear that nothing else posed a threat to the teen, the staff returned to Ron, shrunk in size, and disappeared into the bag. Ron could hardly believe his eyes. "Rufus." He called in an anxious tone. The little mole rat poked his head out of his pocket, looked up at this friend, and then looked around the room at the five unconscious people. He had heard the commotion earlier, but he stayed hidden in his owners pocket so he would not be noticed.

"How?" Rufus squeaked in confusion.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you. You had to see it." Ron answered. "Hey, can you get me out of these ropes?"

"Uh-huh!" The little mole rat squeaked and gave Ron a little salute. He climbed down Ron's legs and chewed at the ropes that held the teen's legs. Then he climbed up the chair and freed his hands.

"Boo-yah!" Ron cheered and rubbed his wrists. "Thanks, Rufus!"

"Welcome." The naked mole rate squeaked and gave his friend a thumbs-up.

The blond teen then looked in the bag tied to his belt. He was not sure what he was expecting to see, but when he peered into the bag, he saw the same flower blossoms that were in there earlier. _"I will NEVER underestimate these flowers again!"_ He thought to himself. Ron then closed the bag and turned to Rufus, "Hey buddy, lets get the horses hitched to the wagon and get out of here before they wake up." The naked mole rat nodded excitedly and perched himself on the teen's shoulder. "I really want to get home to Mom and Kim. I can't wait to see their faces when they see what's in the back of this cart!"

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Next time: Ron returns home and deals with the aftermath of his trip

A/N: Ok, that's another chapter finished! Let me know what you think and thanks for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Ok, usual disclaimer: Disney owns Kim Possible and all related characters. Any original characters seen here are figments of my imagination.

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Ron and Rufus arrived in Lowerton just as the little town was waking up. People could be seen opening up their businesses and greeting each other in passing. Ron waved to the owner of the general store on his way to the tavern. When he arrived, Amy was outside sweeping the steps.

"Hi, Amy." Ron said.

"Hi! You're back!" Amy chirped when she saw who was greeting her.

"Yeah. I was wondering, are my brothers here?"

"Oh, they left yesterday morning."

"Really?" Ron sighed, disappointed. He was hurt that his brothers were not there. He had only been missing a little over a day, and they did not stick around to look for him. Granted, he was safe, but they did not know that, and had he not had help from a magical bag of flowers, he would be on his way to a penal colony. "Did they say where they were going?"

"You know, they said that you might stop by; they wanted me to tell you that they went home."

Ron figured that they went home, but he thought he would ask, just to be on the safe side. "Thanks. Do you think I could get some food to take with me? I haven't eaten since the day before yesterday and I'm starving."

"Sure thing, sweet-ums. I just made a fresh batch of muffins and hard-boiled eggs.

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Kim walked out of Sarah's room in search of a cup of water for the older woman. She was sent to stay at the Stoppable's after Jake and Will returned home without Ron. Her mother and Nana tried to talk Sarah into staying with them for a few more days, but she insisted that she belonged in her own house and that Jake and Will could take care of her. Ann did not like that idea and she did not think that her friend would be properly cared for by her two older children, so she sent Kim to stay with her until Ron returned.

Sarah and the Possible's were unaware of the fact that Ron had found Jake and Will at all. They did not want to tell their mother that Ron had found them in prison, or that they had been robbed and Ron was missing. They told everyone that they had been in Go City for a few months and returned because they could not make enough money to send home. When Sarah asked if they had seen Ron, they hesitated, but they denied seeing him. Kim was suspicious of their answer, because she thought that they would have passed each other on the road. There was only one road to Go City from Middleton and if they left when they said they did, they should have seen him. Kim was also suspicious of their injuries. She did not believe their story about getting into a fight with each other. Well, she believed that they would get into a physical fight over something stupid, but she did not think that they would hurt each other that much. She knew them, and when it came to pain, those two were weak.

Kim looked out the window at Will and Jake chopping wood before she took Sarah her water. Unlike Ron, she was not going to let them sit around and let her do all the work that needed to be done around the house. She made it a point to ask them to do things when Sarah was listening so they could not refuse. She was going to suggest that tactic to Ron when he came back. When she thought about her boyfriend, she sighed and hoped that he came back soon. She missed him and she was sure that Will and Jake were not telling the truth about him. The only reason that she was not looking for him now, was that she had promised him that she would take care of his mother. She was going to give it a day, maybe two, and if he had not returned by then, she was going to go find him herself.

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"I wish she would go home." Jake said of Kim, as he chopped another log.

"Yeah, she's bossy. I don't know how Ron puts up with her." Will agreed with his brother.

"I know that I'll never date a woman like that. I want a woman that's more like-Ron?"

"What… you want a woman like Ron?" Will asked confused.

"No, you dumb ass, look he's coming up the lane."

"Oh, shit! What're we going to do? He's going to tell mom everything!" Will said slightly panicked when he caught sight of his brother.

"Relax. Look, we'll just tell him that we didn't want to stress Mom out, so we didn't tell her that we saw him."

"Yeah, he'd buy that."

Ron frowned when he pulled up to the house and saw his bothers. He was still hurt that they ran off and left him, and then went home without looking for him. They had no idea what could have happened to him and they did nothing to prevent it. He stepped down from the cart and looked at his older brothers. He wanted to tell them how hurt he was, but he did not think that they would care.

"Ron, hey we need to talk to you before you see Mom." Will said, before Ron entered the house.

"What?" Ron said confused.

"Yeah, look we didn't want to tell Mom that you were missing, so we told her that we never saw you and that we came home on our own. So when you see her, don't tell her that you saw us." Jake added.

"Are you two serious?" Ron could not believe what he was hearing. "The first thing that you have to say to me is that you want me to lie to Mom!" His hurt was slowly turning to anger, and with every word, he got louder and louder until he was shouting. "Not _'how are you,'_ or _'are you ok,'_ or _'it's great to see that you're safe,'_ but _'we want you to cover for us and lie to Mom!'_" The blond teen clinched his fists as his anger escalated, and he had half a mind to knock some sense and common courtesy into his brothers, but he resisted. He was better than that.

"Well, you're here, so you must be fine. We just wanted to s-" Will said, agitated but Ron cut him off before he could finish.

"You have no idea what I went through! I was almost sent to a penal colony! I managed to get away, but imagine how hurt I was when I found out that you didn't bother to look for me!"

"Well we figured you were fine, and we didn't want to tell Mom that you were missing! We knew it would upset her!" Jake spat back.

Ron had to admit to himself that he believed them when they said that they did not want to upset their mother, but he still did not think that it was right of them to leave without searching for him. "Fine," he sighed, "but you still should have tried to help me. I'm your brother for crying out loud!" Jake and Will did not have anything to say to that, so they just stood there. "I'm NOT going to lie to Mom for you."

Before either Jake or Will could say anything in response, Kim opened the door to see why they were yelling. When she saw Ron, she ran to him. "Ron!" She squealed in excitement, pulled him into a tight embrace, and gave him one of her knee buckling kisses. She did not care that his brothers were watching; she was just glad he was home. When she broke the kiss, she rested her head in the crook of his neck and nuzzled his neck with her nose. "I'm so glad you're home!"

"I missed you too KP!" Ron cooed and leaned down and gave her another kiss; it was not as fervent as the one that she gave him, but it still made the butterflies in her stomach flutter.

"Come on Ron; let's go see your mother. She'll be happy to see you."

"Sure thing, KP." He said and took her hand in his. He then turned to his brothers and his delightful expression and tone turned to one that told them that he was not playing around and that they had better do what he said. "Come on you two, get inside." He pointed to the door with his free hand. "It's time to come clean." Jake and Will sighed, hung their heads in defeat, and walked into the house ahead of the couple.

-()-()-()-()-()-()-

"How could you two do this?" Sarah asked her two eldest sons when Ron finished telling her the story of what happened after he left home. "First you're put in a prison for stealing, then you run off and leave your brother when he needed you the most, and to top it all off, you had the nerve to look me in the eye and lie to me about it!"

"Mom-" Jake tried to explain, but his mother cut him off.

"None of your excuses!" Sarah yelled, she was hurt and angry with her sons, and she was in no mood to listen to anymore of their lies. "I know that your father and I taught you better than this…You never take what is not yours, always tell the truth and family is one of the most important things in life!Don't you remember us telling you that? I'm so upset that you two completely ignored those lessons for your own selfishness!"

"Mom, we didn't want to upset you." Will said as he looked at her from the foot of the bed. He and Jake stood next to each other with guilty expressions on their faces.

"So, you thought lying to me would help! Had you told me the truth in the first place, it would've hurt a lot less than what I'm feeling now! I almost lost you two because of your own selfishness and I almost lost Ron because you two didn't take the time to help him!" Sarah cried out with a mix of emotions. She was sitting up in her bed, tears running down her cheeks, and the ache in her chest was getting worse. She placed a hand over her heart in an attempt to stop the pain.

Seeing his mother like this was almost too much for Ron. He knew that she would be upset over the situation, but she needed to know the truth. He tried to comfort her by hugging and rocking her, "Shhh, Mom, don't cry. Look we're all safe."

Kim was sitting on the other side of the bed next to Sarah and she too was emotional over the situation. She was so mad at Jake and Will, not because they were thieves and liars, but because they did absolutely nothing to help their brother and _'Her Ron!' _It took every ounce of her patience and self-control not to yell and hit them. Just the thought of Ron being sent to a penal colony against his will angered her. This proved to her that they had no compassion or love for him. If it were up to her and if she knew that Mrs. Stoppable would not have been so sadden by it, she would have left them in that dungeon where they belonged.

Kim's thoughts were interrupted when Ron broke the embrace with his mother. He gave her a loving smile and wiped the tears away from her eyes. Kim thought that she might need a drink so she gave her the cup of water that was on the nightstand. After she finished with her water, Sarah handed it back to Kim, closed her eyes, and took two deep breaths to calm her emotions. When she opened her eyes, she looked at her older children with a look that made them nervous. The look depicted many emotions: sadness, anger, hurt, disappointment, and resignation; it was that last emotion that concerned them.

Before she said anything, she gave a tired sigh and nodded her head as if she was agreeing with the voice in head. "I'm not happy about what I just heard, and because of it, a lot of things have been put into perspective. For the past few years, I have lived in denial, thinking that what I saw in you two was just youthful abandon; I thought, that if I gave it sometime, you two would grow up, get your priorities in order, and see what is important in life, but I was wrong. You haven't changed, and as far as I can tell, you've only gotten worse." She paused for a moment and then said something that earned a gasp from everyone that was listening. "Until you two are honest, thoughtful of others, and you learn to treat your family with the respect that they deserve, and have always shown to you, there is no room for you in this house."

"WHAT?" Jake and Will cried at the same time. "Mom, we're sorry, please, don't kick us out!" Will added at the end.

"It's too late to simply SAY_ 'you're sorry.'_ It's an empty admission coming from you two." Sarah said in a sad, but no nonsense tone. "Now is the time to SHOW us how sorry you are. There comes a time in life when every child must leave home and find their place in this world, and for you two that time has come.

"So you want us to leave, just like that?" Jake asked in disbelief.

"Yes, and it's tearing me up on the inside, because I love you dearly, but I can't let you two continue to act this way, and live in this house." Sarah then turned to Ron and asked, "Ronnie, you said that the giant that you helped gave you some money, is there enough to give some to your brothers? I don't want to send them out on their own with nothing."

Ron smiled knowingly at the question. See, he had told his mother that Big Mike had given him some money and a horse and cart, but what he did not tell her, was that the cart was filled to the brim with money. He wanted to see the look on her face when she saw it. "Yeah, there's enough…he gave me a few handfuls." Ron giggled at his joke, knowing that it would go over his mother's head until he explained it to her.

-()-()-()-()-()-()-

Ron and Kim sat cuddled together by the fire, enjoying each other's company, while Sarah had a few moments alone with Jake and Will. They were surprised by his mother's decision, but they agreed with it. "You know, it's going to be weird around here without them." Ron mused.

"I guess, but it'll be weird in a good way." Kim responded as she sunk even more into his hold, wishing that they could cuddle everyday. "Ron, when are you going talk to my dad?"

"I was going to do it later tonight when I took you home. Is that soon enough for you?" Ron teased.

"No!" Kim said with a slight pout. "I need a daily dose of Ronshine in my life. I want to get married as soon as possible so I can be with you everyday, instead of once or twice a week!"

"I know what you mean." Ron chuckled lightheartedly. He thought about them getting married and his heart melted, but it also made him think about his recent ordeal and his mood turned somber. "KP…when I thought I was going to be sent to that penal colony, I thought my life was over. This whole thing has made me realize that I can't live without you, and just the thought of never seeing you again hurt so much. I want you the be the first person I see when I wake up in the morning and last person I see when I go to bed at night, because I know, that no matter what happens, my day will start and end perfectly."

"Oh Ron, that's so sweet!" Kim cooed, as she turned around and gave him a soft, gentle kiss.

"I mean it, KP. I love you more than anything." Ron said when he broke the kiss. "I was willing to give those robbers everything I had if they would let me go. I had to come back to you."

"I'm glad you came back too, I can't imagine my life with you in it, but what I don't understand, is why they wouldn't let you go. I mean, a couple handfuls of money aren't worth kidnapping and shipping someone off to a penal colony."

"I guess it depends on the person, and in this case, the size of the handfuls." Ron said in a knowing tone.

Kim cranked an eyebrow to that comment, "Pardon? Care to explain what you mean by that?"

Ron gave her a goofy grin and helped her up. He led her to the cart and paused before he lifted the cover. "Ok, well you see, when I said a few handfuls, I didn't mean hands my size." He lifted the cover and watched as Kim's face turned from curious, to shocked, and back to curious. "Big Mike is about 25 feet tall, so hands his size would fill this cart."

"Oh. My. God." Kim whispered as she eyed the contents of the cart. "That…is a lot of money."

"I know."

"Just think of all the good that can come of this."

"Yeah, I have some ideas, but I figured that we should sit down and talk with our parents about what we should do with our money."

"Our money?"

"Of course, KP. We're getting married, so what's mine is yours."

Kim was in awe from that comment and just stared at her boyfriend in surprise, "Ron Stoppable, sometimes you are too much."

Ron just grinned and said, "I am, what I is!"

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Next time: The End

A/N: Ok, one more chapter left! Thanks for reading and please leave a review.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

As usual, Disney owns Kim Possible and all related characters. Any original characters seen here are figments of my imagination.

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Ron and Kim pulled up to Kim's house in the wagon that Big Mike had given the blond teen, just before sunset. Along with asking Mr. Possible for permission to marry Kim, he was going to ask if he could keep the cart there until he could secure it. The locks on his barn were old and they could be broken easily. The Possible's barn on the other hand, had better locks and a large cellar that Mr. Possible and the twins used as a workshop, so he knew that the cart would be safe there.

Ron looked at the door of the house and then at Kim giving her a nervous smile. "Are you ok, Ron? Having second thoughts about talking with Daddy?" Kim asked as she put her hand on Ron's leg to calm his nerves.

"No, I'm not having second thoughts; it's just…what if he freaks and says no? You know how he got when we started dating. I don't know what a black hole is, but I'm pretty sure that I don't want to be put into one!"

Kim raised her eyebrow to his response and then she shook her head and smiled. "Ron, he's my dad, he's going to be protective of me, but you know that he thinks of you as another son, so there is no doubt in my mind that he'll give you his blessing."

"I guess so."

"You know, we probably shouldn't have told him that we were dating when he was looking through his telescope; he lets his imagination run wild when he looks through that thing. He probably doesn't even know what a black hole is." Kim giggled at the joke she made at her father's expense, hoping that her BF would lighten up.

Ron could not help but laugh at that. "Yeah, you're right. Are you ready?" He asked as he took her hand in his.

"Yep!" She chirped and bounced a little in excitement.

Ron helped Kim off the cart and then they walked hand in hand to the door. When they entered the house, Ann and Nana were cooking dinner while James and the twins were sitting by the fire tinkering with something.

"Hi guys." Kim said, greeting her family.

"Hi Kimmie-Cub." James said before he looked up. When he did look at his daughter, he noticed Ron. "Hi Ronald, I'm glad to see that you're home."

"Thank you sir, it's good to be back."

"Did you have a good trip?" Ann asked as she stirred the soup she was making.

"Umm…well 'good' isn't the word I would use, more like interesting."

"Really?" Nana asked. "How so?"

"Um, well the short version…I met a man who gave me a bag of flowers, found my brothers in a giant's dungeon, got rewarded by the giant when I helped him with his sore tooth…oh and I was almost sent to an Australian penal colony because I saw the face of one of the people who robbed me on my way home; thankfully the bag of flowers turned into a wooden staff and fought my attackers so I could get away."

There was a silence that took over the house, and the Possible's who were hearing the story for the first time were all taken back by the short version of the story. "Umm…I think I need the long version of the story to fill in the gaps." Ann said, in a stunned tone. "How about I serve dinner, and you can tell us all about it while we eat?"

"Ok, Mrs. P." Ron said with a shrug, he was sure that they would find the long version of the story even more interesting.

The family sat down at the table and listed closely as Ron relayed his story. He hoped that they believed him because some of the story was far-fetched and it could be the product of an overactive imagination.

"You're right, Ron. That was an interesting story." Ann said, breaking the silence. "I'm glad that you made it home safely."

"I'm glad you're home too and I'm really disappointed in your brothers, but I agree with your mother's decision." James added.

"Yeah, me too. I feel as though a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I didn't realize how must stress I felt from them until they left this afternoon." Ron said, and then took a bite of his roll. "Don't get me wrong, I have love for them because they're my brothers, but I don't think that I could've put up with them for much longer, especially after the last few days. If Mom had not of made them leave, I would have."

"Well, let's hope that they learn and grow from this." Nana said.

"Oh, this brings me to something else, Mr. P. I was hoping that I could lock the cart in your workshop until we decide what to do with the money. I don't think it's safe at our house for the time being."

"Of course, Ronald. Let's go out there now and take care of it before it gets too late."

Kim gave Ron's hand a squeeze under the table and an encouraging smile, as the two men excused themselves. Ron returned a nervous smile and followed the older man outside.

Ron led the horses into the barn and waited for James to tell him what to do next. "Ronald, bring the cart over here, and have the horses back the cart in." James said as he went into an open stall.

"Sure thing, Mr. P."

After the cart was pushed into the empty stall, Ron unhitched the horses. "Do you think I could leave the horses here for the night? We haven't had horses for a while now, and it will take me the better part of tomorrow to get the barn ready for them."

"Sure. I have another open stall and it should be big enough for the two of them." The older man answered. "Let's get them fed and watered too, I'm sure they're tired from hauling that cart."

"Yeah, I bet they are."

While the two men carried on with their task of taking care of the horses, Ron wondered if this would be a good time to talk to Mr. Possible about marrying Kim. He hoped that his luck was improving and that James did not crush his hopes and dreams by saying no. "Umm…Mr. P., I know I have asked you for a few favors tonight, but I was wondering if I could ask you for one more thing." Ron was nervous and it was evident in his voice.

James wondered what had the younger man so uneasy, so he stopped what he was doing and gave him his full attention. "Ronald, you know that you can come to me for anything. I've told you before that you are like family to me, so whatever it is, just ask, there's no need to be nervous."

"Well, you see Mr. Possible, that's just it. I don't want to be 'like family' anymore…" Ron started and gave air quotes when he said 'like family.' "I was hoping to become a member of the family."

James just stood there and blinked a few times with a blank stare as he processed what Ron was saying. When he did not say anything, the blond teen, continued. "I want you to know that I love Kim with all my heart; I have for a long time now. I want to take care of her and make her happy for the rest of my life, so…I was wondering…hoping that you would give me permission to marry her?"

James gave a sigh and sat down when Ron finished and rubbed his forehead before he answered. "You know, as a parent you worry over everything that concerns your children. They sneeze, you worry about their health; they cry, you wonder what upset them; they grow up, and you worry if you've taught them enough so they're able to take care of themselves, but I'll tell you one thing I don't worry about, and that is whether or not you return my Kimmie-Cub's feelings for you."

Ron sat down beside James and listened intently to the man that was like a second father to him. "I see the way you two look at each other, and it reminds me of myself and Ann. The love that I have for my wife, even after all these years could move mountains; I want my children to have that feeling when the time comes, and I can't think of a better partner for my Kim, and a better person to accept into our family, than you." James said and pulled Ron into a fatherly hug.

Ron's heart skipped a few beats when he realized that his fears of rejection had been unfounded and he was accepted with open arms. "Thank you. You have no idea how happy I am that you said yes." The teen said as he returned the hug.

"Oh, I think I do." James said with a smile as he broke their embrace. "I was in your shoes once, you know. Don't let the gray hairs fool you; I still have a sharp memory. Well, before I officially welcome you to the family, I think we better finish up here so we can see what Kimmie has to say on the matter."

Ron nodded and smiled. He knew Kim was going to say yes, but he still wanted to make it special for her. The blond teen hurried with his chores and even helped Mr. Possible with his horse so he could get back to Kim as soon a possible. James just looked at his future son-in-law speed around the barn and chuckled to himself, remembering what he was like when he was about to propose to Ann.

When the two men where finished, they made sure that the locks were secured and that nothing looked about of the ordinary before they went back to the house. "I don't think you'll need it, but good luck son." James said patting Ron on the back before opened the door.

"Did you get it figured out?" Ann asked when they came in. She was sitting by the fire reading a book.

"Sure did Hon. Where is everyone?" James asked and kissed his wife on the cheek.

"Well, the boys are in their room working on whatever you guys were working on earlier. Nana went to get ready for bed, and I really don't know where Kimmie ran off to."

"Well, I think we better find her, Ronald has something he wants to ask her."

"Really?" Ann asked; her curiosity piqued.

"Indeed." James smiled knowingly. He leaned down, whispered into her ear, and watched as her excitement took over.

"KIMMIE! Could you come here, please?" Ann called to get her daughters attention; she knew that this was something that the younger redhead had been waiting for, so she felt that she needed to get Kim back fast.

"Yeah, Mom?" Kim said as she came into the living area from her room. She had a feeling what was going on, but she wanted to make it seem like she was oblivious; judging from the looks on Ron and her parent's faces, she was right.

Ann did not say anything in response, all she did was smile and look at Ron. Kim turned her attention from her mother, and looked at her boyfriend. "Hey Ron, did you get everything taken care of?" She asked knowing that he would know she was not talking about the cart.

"We did." Ron said playing along.

"Great!" She said and flashed him a smile that said, _"See, I told you there was nothing to worry about."_

Ron was never so happy to be wrong in his whole life as he was now. He took both of Kim's hands in his, and caressed the tops with his thumbs. Then he leaned over and gave her a quick, but soft kiss on the lips. "KP, you are the best thing that's ever happened to me. You're my best friend, the one I laugh with, dream with, and the one that touches my heart in ways that I never knew were possible."

Then, Ron got down on one knee and reached into his pocket, and pulled out a diamond ring and held it up for her to see. "My love for you is like this ring, it has no end, and I promise to love you everyday, from start to finish, for the rest of my life." Ron paused for a moment and slipped the ring onto her left hand. Thankfully, it fit perfectly. He watched as Kim eyed the ring on her finger and then looked at him with tears forming in her eyes. "Kim, you will make me the happiest man in the world, if you would do me the honor of becoming my wife."

Kim was overcome with emotion by Ron's proposal. By now, tears of joy were streaming down her cheeks. "Yes, Ron, I'll marry you!" She cheered and threw herself into his arms and kissed him. She knew he was going to propose, but she did not think that he would do it the way he did. Even though they were brief, she was truly touched by his words, and she was surprised by his gift. She certainly was not expecting him to give her a ring.

James put his arm around Ann as they watched their daughter and future son-in-law celebrate their new engagement. They were genuinely happy for the two teens. Ann, like Kim, had tears of joy running down her cheeks. _"My girls are so alike."_ James thought as he wiped away his wife's tears and kissed her on the cheek.

When Kim and Ron ended their kiss, they touched foreheads and smiled at each other. "I guess you're stuck with me now." Ron teased his new fiancé and rubbed her nose with his.

"Good!" She replied with a wide grin and kissed him again.

"Kimmie, we're so happy for you two!" Ann said to get her daughters attention after the two teens broke their kiss.

Kim had forgotten that her parents were watching. "Thanks, Mom! I'm so excited!" She said and went to give her mom a hug.

"Let me see your ring!" Kim raised her hand so her mother could get a better look. "Oh my, that is a pretty ring." The engagement ring surprised Ann; it was a beautiful ring, a gold band with a diamond solitaire that sparkled when the light hit it just right. She and James had exchanged silver bands when they got married, but engagement rings were typically something that a rich man would give to his fiancé, as they were the only ones that could afford it. Ann had not seen the cart with money and jewelry that Ron had talked about, but she guessed that the ring came from there.

James went up Ron and shook his hand, "Well, I guess I can officially welcome you to the family!"

"Thank you, sir."

"So, when do you two want to tie the knot?"

"Tomorrow!" Kim quickly answered her father's question, and she was quite serious about it too.

A silence fell over the room after Kim's answer; her parents, and Ron for that matter, were surprised by her answer. He knew that she wanted to get married soon, but he did not think that she meant the next day, not that he was against it though.

"Umm…Kimmie, don't you think that's a little soon?" Ann asked.

"Yeah, I'm with you mother on this one Kimmie-cub."

"Well, why not?" Kim asked.

"Well, you don't have anything ready for that. Where are you going to live for instance? And don't you want to have a wedding to celebrate with your friends and family?" Ann replied. "I know you're excited and ready to start this new phase in your life, but I think it would be better if you didn't rush into it."

Kim thought about it for a moment and reluctantly agreed with her mother. "I guess so. Maybe we can get married in a month or so, once we get a few things figured out. What do you think Ron?"

"Sure KP. If you're happy with that, I'm happy."

-(Wedding Day)-

"Mom, are you sure that everything is taken care of?" Kim asked in a worried tone. She was in her room, sitting in front of a mirror, as her mother tied her hair in a way to show off her face, but still allow it to flow down her back as if it was a veil.

"Yes, Kim." Ann replied, slightly irritated. For the last few days, Kim had been freaking out about the last minute details of the wedding. _"Who's doing this? Is this done? Did we get this yet?"_ Kim's questions were starting to get to her, as she had already answered them, but the younger redhead had a habit of checking and rechecking things repeatedly, before she was satisfied with the results. "Honey, you need to breath and just relax. The wedding is in less than an hour, if it's not done by now, it's too late to do anything about it. Don't let it get to you, your job now is to get married, and have fun!"

"It's just that I want this day to be perfect."

"Kimmie, it will be perfect, no matter what happens. At the end of the day you will be Kimberly Stoppable and that's all that matters."

"I know…so do you think Ron is as wound up as I am over this?"

"Well…"

-()-()-()-()-()-()-

Ron was pacing back and forth in front of Kim's house murmuring to himself. James, Rufus, and the twins were sitting on the pouch watching him, and it was all the twins could do, not to laugh at him. Suddenly, Ron stopped dead in his tracks and whipped around to look at the four sitting on the porch. "What if she changes her mind at the last minute? What if she decides that I'm just a loser and that she would be better off with someone else?"

"Ah, Ronald-" James started to say but he was cut off by another one of Ron's outbursts.

"I don't think I could handle that! I mean I know that I can be a handful sometimes but-" Ron did not get to finish his rant because James grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him to get his attention.

"Ronald you need to get a grip! Kimmie is not going to change her mind. She has spent the last few days running around this house, driving us all insane, making sure that every last detail of this wedding is just right. Trust me, she wants to marry you!"

Ron just stood there, blinking and staring at the older man trying to process the information. The twins could not help it anymore and they just started laughing hysterically at the blond teen. Tim actually fell forward out of his chair from laughing so hard. Thankfully, Ann had swept the porch the night before, so his clothes did not get dirty. James just looked at his sons, then looked back at his soon-to-be-son, and shook his head. _"Kids…they're all crazy."_ He thought about the situation.

"Ronald. Ronald. RONALD!" James yelled when he did not get a response.

Finally, Ron was taken from his worried thoughts and brought back to the here and now. "Sorry Mr. P., I was just…well never mind, thanks for the pep talk, I really needed it."

"No problem son." James looked at his pocket watch and noticed the time. "Well, it's time. Why don't you and the boys walk around to the back of the house and get ready and I'll go see if Kimmie-cub is ready."

"Ok Mr. P."

-()-()-()-()-()-()-

(Knock, Knock) "Kimmie, it's me. Can I come in?" James asked from the other side of the door.

"Yeah, Dad." Kim said as she looked at herself in the mirror one last time.

He opened the door and Kim turned and smiled at her father when he entered the room. James gasped when he saw his daughter for the first time. She was in a long light blue dress (1) that her friend, and local dressmaker, Monique designed just for her. The sleeveless dress was made of satin and there was no hoop underneath so it would be more streamlined and not as 'poofy' as most dresses were. Another feature of the dress was the neckline. It did not sit high on the neck, but it stopped at the shoulders and dipped a little in the front between her collarbone and her bosom. Monique wanted the dress to turn heads, but still be modest, so it showed no cleavage.

"Oh my…you are absolutely beautiful." James said in an almost whisper.

"Yes she is." Ann said as she stood next to her daughter and a single tear ran down her cheek.

"Ready Kimmie-cub?"

"More than ready, Dad."

"Ok then, let's get you married." Ann said as she gave Kim a kiss on her cheek.

-()-()-()-()-()-()-

Ron waited on a small stage that he and Mr. Possible built for the wedding, and waved to his mother and Rufus, who was sitting in her lap. For some reason, their wave helped calm him. He wiped a few beads of sweat from his forehead as he waited for Kim. He was not sure if he was hot from his anxiousness or the unusually warm day they were having.

He then looked out at the guests to see who was there. Mostly he was looking for Jake and Will. After they left home, the brothers went to Upperton and entered into an apprenticeship since there were very few options for them as far as employment went. His mother had sent a messenger to invite them to the wedding, but it appeared as if they decided against attending. Ron was slightly saddened that they were not there, but he figured that they still needed more time to get their lives in order before they could have any sort of normal family life.

While he was scanning the guests for his brothers, he came across many familiar faces. The whole town had been invited, and by the looks of it, most of them showed up. They all wanted to celebrate the marriage of their friends and the two people that 'saved' their town. The two teens did not see it as saving the town; they just wanted to help, so after a few discussions with their parents, Kim and Ron decided to share some of their fortune with the town. Every family was given enough money to get back on their feet and unless they were wasteful, they had enough money to live comfortably, for a few years, without any other income. The newly engaged couple thought that they should give the town some leeway incase they had another two years of cold weather, but judging by the current temperature, it seemed like that too was making a change for the better.

"Umm…Ron." Rabbi Katz whispered to get the blond teen's attention and pointed to the house.

Ron looked where he was directed, and his heart skipped a beat and then started pounding in his chest when he saw is bride. "_WOW_!" He whispered in amazement and stared as the most beautiful woman he had ever seen walked toward him with her parents on each side of her.

Ron walked down the steps of the stage and stood in awe in front of Kim. They smiled at each other, and waited for the rabbi to begin. "Who brings this young woman here today as she comes to join her life with this man?"

"We do." James and Ann said at the same time. They both hugged their daughter one more time and kissed her on the cheek before they took their seats.

Ron led Kim up the steps to Rabbi Katz. As they stood there, both of them could feel the excitement growing inside them; in a few minutes, they would be husband and wife and their lives would never be the same, but better than ever!

"Family and friends, we come here today to celebrate the love that Ronald and Kimberly have for each other." The rabbi started his address. "We share in their love by acknowledging their decision to become husband and wife. This is a special time of celebration and because of this, they are thankful that all of you are here to share in their joy and happiness."

"As many of you here know, Ron and Kim began their friendship not looking for love in each other, but miraculously from the bonds of friendship, love blossomed. So, I ask you two keep your friendship strong and remember that marriage is not only a commitment between two people who are in love, but also a union between two friends."

"Please face one another." Rabbi Katz asked the couple. They turned and Ron reached out and took both of Kim's hands in his. She glanced over at the crowd for a moment and saw that her mother, Nana, and Mrs. Stoppable were drying tears from their eyes. She was surprised that she was not crying as well, but she figured that her excitement was taking over, as she could do nothing but smile.

"Ron, do you take Kim to be your lawfully wedded wife? Do you promise to love, honor, and protect her? Share in the good times as well as the hard times? Keep her in sickness and health? And to be faithful only to her?"

"I do." Ron answered and Kim put a gold band on the ring finger of his left hand.

"Kim, do you take Ron to be your lawfully wedded husband? Do you promise to love, honor, and protect him? Share in the good times as well as the hard times? Keep him in sickness and health? And to be faithful only to him?"

"I do." She said as Ron put her wedding band on her finger.

"I ask you two to remember one more thing, and heed it though out your marriage. Always remember, that to love is to come together from your past and move forward, hand in hand, along the unknown paths of your future, always believing that anything is possible."

"By the power vested in me by God Almighty, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Ron, you may kiss your bride!"

Ron cupped Kim's cheeks in his hands, and leaned in to kiss his wife. Their first kiss as a married couple was sweet and passionate, but not so over the top to where the people watching would be offended. When they parted, they turned to face their guests.

"It gives me great pleasure to introduce to you for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Stoppable." The crowd started to cheer after Rabbi Katz announced them.

Kim squeezed Ron's hand and turned her attention from the cheering guests. When he turned to look at her, she gazed into her new husband's chocolate eyes. She was bubbling over with happiness…She was a wife, but not just any wife…she was HIS wife. When he smiled at her with his goofy, but lovable grin, her heart fluttered and she mouthed, "_I love you!"_

Ron leaned over, kissed her on the cheek, and whispered in her ear, "I love you too, KP."

The words of the rabbi rang in his ears as he looked at his wife and best friend, and he considered himself the luckiest man in the world. A lot had changed for them in the past few months and he knew that more change was coming, but as long as she was there to walk through life with him, he would embrace the change by remembering, that anything is possible…

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1. Brides of the 18th century wore many different colors dresses as their wedding dress. White did not become the traditional color for a woman to wear on her wedding day until much later, so I used this to my advantage and tried to fit Kim's prom dress into the story.

A/N: Ok that's it! I really enjoyed writing this story, and I hope you all liked it. I would like to thank everyone that read this story, and especially those that took the time to review! Take care!


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